


What Really Happened: The Untold Tale of Seussia

by TheCatsApprentice19



Category: Seussical: The Musical
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Child Soldiers, Dreams and Nightmares, Friendship, Gen, Long-Distance Friendship, Magic, Major Original Character(s), Musical References, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Secret Identity, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-23
Updated: 2015-04-17
Packaged: 2018-03-19 04:54:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 73,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3597084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCatsApprentice19/pseuds/TheCatsApprentice19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The world of Seuss was once everything we ever imagined it would be, but not anymore. A new threat has changed this realm, a unstable future foretold. To maintain the balance, they need heroes to rise, stories to be told and one creature to set their plans in motion. Could one human be the missing piece, or is this a mistake they could all regret? -Seussical: The Musical AU-</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Prologue: The Meeting**

* * *

“He will see you soon, gentlemen,” a woman told her latest arrivals, pointing them to a door.

After thanking the woman, a young man and his two assistances waited outside the door, the time passing ever so slowly. The entire hallway was dark, almost blending itself into the man’s shadow-like appearance. Judging from his professional air throughout everything, it wouldn’t be hard to guess the high level of class being dealt with. This sudden call from his boss had made the young man rather curious, the matter at hand having to quite serious if he needed to see him in person.

 He took out a note from his hand, which was the letter his boss had sent him, summoning him to his headquarters. Re-reading it again, it gave the young man no comfort. _This can only mean more bad news; I can just feel it in my gut. When are things going to go back to the easy way they used to be? I’m becoming more serious by the minute…_

With the young man sat his assistances, each about a third of his height. They both looked uncomfortable, as they tried to squirm out of the situation. Seeing their attempt to escape, the young man grabbed them by the neck, pulling them both up to eye view.

“Come on, guys. We’ll only be a few minutes. After that, we’ll have some fun. Okay?” The two rascals nodded, before sitting down side by side. He watched the two as they swung their small legs back and forth under the chair, their tiny feet far from the floor. The three looked like one crazy family, which made him laugh inside.

The happy sight came to a halt, as the door mysteriously creaked open. Became suddenly alert, the young man stood from his seat and stepped into the dark room, with shaky hands, he shut the door behind them, and walked through the room. There were dim blue lights everywhere, and he could see thousands of sketches and notes covering the walls like fancy wallpaper. Deep into the room, sat a large chair and desk, with three smaller chairs to the other side of it. As they sat down, almost immediately, an old voice spoke.

“Welcome, boys.”

This was his boss.

"You wanted to see us?" the young man asked, his anxiety leaving his body for a few moments.

"Yes," he simply said, his voice sounding much more mature than the young man's did. "I know that this might not be the best time for any of you, but we have important things to discuss."

“So, any good news?” the young man enquired, half spitting out the inquiry. “Any luck on finding the location of the missing?”

The young man’s question hung in the air for some time before it was answered. “We lost another one just last night. That accounts to eleven missing that we have managed to identify. This is getting increasingly difficult…” His boss sighed heavily. “But that’s not why I called you here. We are here to talk about your last assignment.”

A gulp escaped the young man’s voice, as his boss delivered the verdict. "Your last choices were..." he began, trying to find the right word.  "Let's just say, completely terrible. You need to try harder. I have given you way too many chances, you know that. You’re so much better than this." Those last words came out like a plea, which made the young man feel even worse. “Where’s the real you gone? If you have even lost your ability to evade the serious, then we’re in serious trouble.”

"I know…" the young man replied, crouching down in disgrace, knowing what his boss had said was indeed the truth. “It is just, that…" Sighing, he put his head in his hands. "I don't know! Every person I try; they just aren't up to the task at hand. The world just doesn’t make Thinkers like they used to anymore."

He looked up worryingly, trying to find a sliver of hope that somehow his teacher would know what to do. “What are we going to do now? Without a new Thinker, we will…we…” Loosing hope, the words stopped, and he just sat in silence, his head low.

"Then maybe this is the one we need..."

Slowly, the young man’s head lifted, as a mechanical hand appeared, carrying a photograph, which it soon placed into his hands. Curious, the three studied the picture, which was of a young girl, about three or so years old. There was nothing special about her; in fact, she looked quite dull and unexciting. Not the look of someone who was meant to be their world’s saviour.

Raising an eyebrow, he shook his head. "Are you sure this is the one we are looking for? This citizen doesn’t really look the part. And besides, isn't she a bit too young to have such a big responsibility?"

His boss chuckled. "That picture you have there is about twelve years old or so. I wasn't able to get a recent picture of her, for unknown reasons. But I will have to say, you have mistaken the classification.”

“You mean…” The young man gasped. “This is a human? I thought that the Thinker came from this world.”

“That fact remains, my dear boy,” his boss explained. “Each of the chosen has a part in this puzzle.  As with your question as if I am sure about my choosing; I have been sure since before she was born."

“…I can tell that you know more than you’re letting on, old man.”

“All in good time, my boy. No good comes to those who skip ahead of the story.”

Before the young man could question, another mechanical hand zoomed over to him. "Go to her on the date marked on the first paper. It's about three months away, so you have plenty of time to prepare for your meeting. Just remember, this is reality you’re dealing with. Make sure she gets the right information. "

For his two associates, a black bag was given to them. Inside it was a tiny glass bottle, holding inside it, a bubbling purple liquid. "If anything goes wrong, use this to get the three of you back here. No messing with it, you understand? This is serious stuff. If anyone else other drinks this, it could have serious consequences." They both nodded, and a hand patted them each on the head. “Now you can go. I hope you see you soon.” As the two left, an accusing voice spoke.

“Why does everything have to be so smoke and mirrors with you?”

The young man was no longer in his seat, but standing arms crossed over the other side of the seemingly never ending room. “You told me you would never involve another world, especially not that world. How can you know that she won’t just cause more trouble than we already have to deal with? Reality is no fun, and we don’t need more ‘No Fun’ around here. Why can’t I trust you anymore? Why do you leave me in the dark so much?”

"I admit, there are many things I have yet to tell you about this world,” his boss defended. “I tell you what you need to know when the time is right, not when you want to know. As for involving other worlds, that universe was involved whether you liked it or not. Not everything in reality is bad, and you know that for a fact. I wasn’t so bad, was I?”

A sting of guilt overflowed the young man, knowing how mean he had been. His boss seemed to realise this, and died down his reproving tone. “We’ll all just have to make the best of the situation. This human has the potential to be a great Thinker. All she needs is a little help to discover her true self and her destiny. I have a feeling you will like her and I know she will like you."

Moving back closer to his chair, he took a moment to gather himself. “I just have one last question. Please, even if I don’t need to know, I want to know…what is there to come? Please, as a friend, can you tell me?”

“All right…” The room grew uncomfortable silent, the light around the room turning into a moving picture. "Even though I cannot tell the future, I can tell you this. This realm is darker than ever, I can feel it. Everything is different now, and even though that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, the balance is being overturned. I used to be able to control all this… I used to able to control him, but now, I just don't have the power. We are at a dark stage, and the only way to get us out of this is to pull off the impossible. This world just needs someone to recreate it, to pull us into a new story.”

“To put it simply, that girl is our much needed Overture.”

* * *

 


	2. Chapter 1: Arrival by Hat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The future belongs to the curious. The ones who are not afraid to try it, explore it, poke at it, question it and turn it inside out." -Unknown

**Chapter One: Arrival by Hat**

"Kirsty!"

At about two in the morning, in an orphanage in North Melbourne, Australia, when most of the country was sound asleep, a young girl, about fourteen years of age, tiptoed out of bed, got dressed and sneaked down the stairs, hearing her name. While she ran down the flights of stairs, the flustered teenager managed to fix up her plain clothes she had quickly thrown on, and to tie her long blonde hair up in a high bun. Through her years, the once cheerful and fun loving person had been forced into concealment, refusing to come out in fear of being mistreated or hurt. As she opened the door to the second floor bedrooms, where the voice came from, a young boy, about five or six years old, snarled at her.

"My bed is uncomfortable. Change the sheets!"

Kirsty mentally sighed. Even though this was her regular response, she still made effort to try to make him a tiny bit happier. "Samuel, these are the only ones left. You will just have to live with them for a while-" she tried to tell the boy, before he interrupted her.

"You're just saying that because you're jealous that we don't get in trouble and you do!" Samuel snapped, crossing his arms at her.

"Samuel, please don't shout. You will wake Ms Halter and everyone else up," she said forcefully, but kindly, leading him back into his bunk. "Here, have a sweet instead."

Digging through her jeans pocket, she found a small toffee, which she quickly handed to the boy. Luckily, that seemed to keep him quiet enough for him to quickly fall back to sleep. Kirsty looked to the old wooden clock on the pink and white walls, which were fading from age, noticing it was still early morning. It was a clear sign to anyone who entered their orphanage that their facility never got much attention funding wise, the government giving up on them years ago.

Another thing which was a clear sign to people who came to the orphanage was that Kirsty had been there longer than anyone else had. Most children left before they were eleven, as that was the recommended age limit for adopted children. The reason she was still here, she didn't know. The only thing she knew was that she had been left at the orphanage nearly fifteen years ago. This place was the total opposite for her, but she still tried to make the best of her situation, even though she was lonely. She had tried making friends, tried being the key word, but she’d given up on that years ago, after most of the people she could even talk with either turning on her or going to a new family after a few weeks. And it didn’t help that she had been stamped as a troublesome and over-creative kid when she was younger, from then on kept under constant surveillance by the head of the orphanage, Ms Halter.

Hours later, when she was walking down the stairs for what seemed like the hundredth time, she turned into the kitchen, which was filled with an amazing aroma of homemade food, almost ready for serving. In the middle of it all was Meg, the cook, who was taking a short break from all the drama. She was about forty, had a well-built figure, short, curly ginger hair and was about a foot shorter than Kirsty, who was quite tall for her age. "Good morning, Meg," she said to her, giving her a smile.

Meg wiped a layer of sweat from her forehead, smiling back at the teenager, slightly envious on how she managed to hide her fatigue and frustration. "Morning, kid. Here's the boss' tucker. Best to get it to her while it's still hot." As Kirsty collected the breakfast from the cook, she leaned in close, whispering to her. "And I'd be careful in there, if I were you, missy. The boss is in a foul mood. Watch ya step, all right kiddo?"

Kirsty nodded back in reply, the smile slowly disappeared from her face. She had the job of catering to Ms Halter’s every whim, and it hard enough to please her boss when she was good mood; today wasn't going to be a good day. Opening the main office door, she found the owner of the orphanage sitting on a large leather chair, drinking what seemed to be her fifth cup of coffee, and giving Kirsty a stare than would scare the living daylights out of anyone.

"Good morning, mistress," she said, trying to hide her fear, as she entered and handed her breakfast to her. From a young age, Kirsty was told to address Ms Halter as her mistress. Even though she didn't believe a woman of her nature should have such a grand title, she never argued with her decision. She had never known why she had been forced into this role, believing there must be something to do with her attitude for this to occur.

Ms Halter rolled her eyes, not impressed. "Don't patronise me, girl. Just sort through my mail."

Breathing in, Kirsty closed the door and received a pile of mail from her boss. She knew most of it would be catalogues and flyer, trying to either con you into selling you something or scamming you with a fake competition, but sometimes there was something interesting, something unexpected. _Rubbish …Rubbish…Catalogue, bin that…Rate Notice, keep that… Rubbish…Electricity bill, keep that…Ru-_

She stopped, as she found a small envelope in an unusual shade of pink with the orphanage's address on the front, in very fancy handwriting. Slowly opening it, she found a map and a piece of paper, in another irregular shade of pink. As she looked at the first line of the letter, her eyes grew wide. Ms Halter, who was watching her the whole time, glared at her again.

 "Go on, girl! Read it! My coffee's getting cold!" she ordered Kirsty, impatiently.

Kirsty, afraid that she would get into more trouble, quickly obeyed her mistress' orders and began to read the letter, hoping she wouldn't sound like a complete idiot.

_"The Manager of a theme park in Kalamazoo,_

_"Would like to ask all of your students and you_

_"If you would accept this wonderful note_

_"To travel to us, by train or by boat_

_"The park is amayzing, so much to see_

_"And the best part is we'll pay for your fee!_

_"The trip's for all ages and will last for five days._

_"And at the end, we'll all part our own ways._

_"You don't need to worry about getting lost._

_"As we'll pick you up at no extra cost!_

_"So please pack your bags to leave at quarter past three_

_"Signed, the Manager_

_"C.A.T”_

As she finished, she raised an eyebrow, both bewildered and fascinated. Why was this letter all in rhyme? Also, where was Kalamazoo? And who was this C.A.T person? Whoever they were, they sounded very unusual. Ms Halter, however, wasn't impressed, as she stood up from her chair.

"What was that nonsense that came out of your mouth? Can't you even read, child? Give it to me!" Yelling at Kirsty, she reached for the letter, snatching it from out of the girl's hands and quickly read it. Much to her disbelief, what Kirsty read out to her was exactly correct. She read it a few times over, still utterly baffled. "Where did they say it was?"

"Kalamazoo, mistress."

"Kalamazoo? That's impossible, there's no such place."

"Anything's possible, mistress…if you think about it…"

From the moment that sentence came out of Kirsty's mouth, she knew that she had crossed the line. Before she had time to undo her mistake, Ms Halter grabbed her by the neck and pushed her against the wall. "What did you just say?" she asked her, slowly, her grip on the teenager's neck increasing. "I have told you, you are to say none of your nonsense in my presence. Remember, if you try and break our little deal…" she rubbed a soft line on the girl's neck, which made Kirsty even more scared. "…you may regret it...Do you understand me?"

The young girl quickly nodded, as Ms Halter let Kirsty go, to where she scurried in a corner of the room, trying not to make a sound. Sitting back down on her chair, Ms Halter moved her focus back to the letter. "Anything else in the letter? Like where this 'Kalamazoo' actually is? This has to be some sort of scam." Ms Halter looked at the letter again, the words going around in circles around her brain. It all sounded very familiar, the consisted rhyming, the strange lettering…it all brought back memories, of when Kirsty first arrived.

She stared at the child in question, a beady look in her eyes. "Well, don't just stand there, child! Get going! They want us ready by three. By the speed you work at, you'll hardly get it done!"

Kirsty left the room without a question. She would have asked if she was going, but by the look on her mistress' face, all she was going to do was what she did best.

* * *

Through the crowds of people, a young man was trying to catch a tram. He knew he shouldn't have come here at noon, especially with Melbourne's lunch hour traffic. Though there was one thing he was happy about. For once, the city wasn't covered in rain, the puddles from yesterday's storm a distant memory. He hated rainy days, the millions of droplets not to his idea of fun. Being prepared, he had brought his best blue umbrella, but he hadn't needed it just yet. However, he kept it by his side, knowing the weather around here was completely unpredictable.

Finally, he was able to get aboard one, which luckily was traveling in the direction he needed to go. There were no vacant seats, so he held on to a strap, trying to make sure his trench coat covered his clothing. He looked at a map, which was hidden underneath the trilby he was wearing, then at his wristwatch. _Come on guys…why are you taking so long? You were meant to meet me an hour ago. That's the last time I tell you two to take your time._

When the tram reached its fifth stop, he was surprised to find his two friends at the stop. As they all spotted each other, which wasn't hard, as the young man was quite tall and the other two quite short, they quickly hopped on. "What took you two so long?" he asked the pair, as the tram started moving again. "Did anyone see you? Did they get the letter? Did you find her?" The two didn't answer, instead each passing him a note. He read the first note, which was coloured sky blue and marked with a small one in red.

_Never trust two to get you where you want to go. Ever._

The young man secretly laughed at that comment. He knew exactly what he was talking about. Putting that note in his pocket, he read the other note, which was coloured red and marked with a small two, which was in the same shade of blue of the previous note.

_No one saw us, unless you count a few stares here and there. And yes, they got our letter. We think we've found the one the boss is looking for, but…_

Finishing the letter, the young man turned to each of his associates. "What do you mean by that?" They began to fidget, continuously looking at the people around them. After a few minutes, they tugged on the young man's pants, which made him come down to their level.

"It just can't be her!" the first one whispered to him, in a very strange language. "It is impossible! Completely impossible!"

"To be blunt, you are completely off your head!" added the second, in a language quite like the first. "We can't seriously trust this kid with this role...”

The young man sighed. "Blame the boss if we are wrong. He said that she's the only one that may work." Looking outside, he noticed that they had reached their stop. "This is it. Now, remember, we only have one shot at this. We have to get this right, everyone is counting on us."

* * *

At three o’clock, sure enough, the doorbell rang, which Kirsty quickly ran to, trying to fix her hair and clothes, so she was at least a tiny bit presentable. She had forgotten about that strange letter, being bombarded with millions of jobs since then.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

Kirsty opened the front door and tripped over the carpet, making her land face first on the hard ground. When she looked up, she saw a young man and two much shorter people standing in front of her, all dressed quite colourfully. They looked quite unusual, but to Kirsty, they looked much more welcoming than the majority of the people that came to their orphanage. Immediately, she remembered the letter, instantly knowing who they were. Incredibly embarrassed, she picked herself up and nervously began to speak to them.

"You must be the people who wrote the letter! Mr C.A.T, I presume. And these must be your associates. Please come in, make yourselves at home. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," she said to the three, doing a small curtsy. She knew she sounded like she was from the eighteen hundred's, combined with her mixed Australian and classic English accent, but the men didn't seem to mind.

Everyone stayed quiet for a few moments, the man's associates just staring at the girl in front of them, wide eyed. "My dear, would you mind telling me your name?" Kirsty looked at the taller man, his eyes coved by some sunglasses.

She gulped, a little intimidated by him now. "Kirsty, sir."

His two associates started whispering to each other, in a language which Kirsty couldn't understand. The taller man also looked a tad shocked, but quickly regained his proper manor. He took off his glasses, revealing his black eyes. "Kirsty? Such a beautiful name. The pleasure is all ours, my dear. And there is no need to call me sir, Cameron will do just fine. Are you coming with us on our trip?" he asked her, his voice making Kirsty's heart beat two times faster.

"Uh…no," she replied, quick thinking making her snap out of her trace. "I'll just be a nuisance. Would you like me to carry your bag for you?"

Cameron shook his head, pulling his bag up, just before Kirsty could pick it up. "I think it's best that I carry it. But thank you for offering." Going inside, he watched her, as she quickly rushed around, so flustered that she was tripping over her own feet. His smile wiped off his face, his eyes not leaving her.

"Would you like a cup of something? Coffee perhaps?"

"Just a simple cup of tea would be nice, thank you."

Very quickly, she made his tea and passed it to him, trying not to spill it. The young man tried to act happier for the teenager, but only managed a small smile. "So, how old are you?" he asked her, while she was taking a brief break.

 Kirsty wiped some dirt from her apron and the blood from her scratch she had gotten when she fell on the ground earlier. "Fourteen, but I'm turning fifteen in September.”

"Fourteen? That's sound a little long to be living in a place like this," he said to her, putting his hands in his suit pockets. "Has anyone tried to adopt you?"

"I would never know, what with all the sensitive information involved. But I try not to delve on the matter," she sighed, running her hand through her hair. Before she could ask Cameron about himself, Ms Halter dragged him away, trying to flirt with him. He easily noticed her failed attempts, but went along with it, using his charm to make her think she was doing it right, even though he wasn't at all interested in her. She next asked him to talk to the children who were going on the trip, which was everyone, minus Kirsty. She went off and did some other jobs, trying to look busy.

In a matter of minutes, Cameron's talk ended, and everyone's luggage was at the front door, which his two associates carried into a big colourful bus parked outside, much to Kirsty's countless attempts to carry them herself. After a quick talk to by Ms Halter, the other children hoped onto the bus. Ms Halter was the next one to leave, handing Kirsty a clipboard full of extra jobs to complete.

Giving it to her, she pulled her aside and whispered into her ear, soft enough so no one but Kirsty could hear her voice. "No funny business, all right? You better do everything on this list and remember, none of your nonsense. And also, if you try to find a way out of here, I'll know about it. If you do anything against the rules, I'll kick you out and you'll be on the streets faster than you can think. Got it, kid?"

"Yes, mistress," she quickly nodded, even just the thought of being on the streets scaring her enough. Ms Halter nodded and left the building, Cameron's associates close behind. Only Cameron and Kirsty were in the room, not knowing what to break the silence. "Well, I hope you have a marvellous trip. And maybe we might meet again, when you bring them back." Cameron smiled at her, until his eyes met her necklace, which made him gasp.

"What's wrong?" she asked him, hearing his gasp.

"Nothing, nothing. I just noticed that it was getting late. We must be going. We don't want to be late, do we?" he said to her, becoming agitated. Kirsty lead him to the door, shutting it for him when he went out. She gave a small wave to him and he winked back, flashing a dazzling smile. Something about it told her that they would soon meet again, sooner than she thought.

* * *

"Finally! After three hours of nonstop work, I am done for the day!"

Kirsty sat down on the ledge of the window of the top floor, and looked out across the city, which was beginning to calm down, the sun setting over the horizon. "I wonder…" she said aloud to herself, "Is there really is a land beyond the horizon? If there was, I would dream to go there." After a few minutes thinking, she sat on her bottom bunk bed, ready for an early night, to find a note, tucked underneath her pillow.

"’Sneak into the office and steal the sweets key?’ Someone’s obviously having a growth’s sprit…" Kirsty said aloud to herself, raising an eyebrow. She sighed, getting off her bed and walking down the stairs. She had to go to the office anyway, to lock the place up, so she could think about it on the way.

Unlocking the office door, she began to search for the main set of keys. While looking through Ms Halter's filing cabinet, she suddenly paused. In the second draw, lay a file with a picture of her and some notes. Desperate to know what was inside it, she opened it and began to speed read. After a few minutes, she froze. On the second page, sixty groups of signatures were written, next to the heading 'Wanting to adopt' and Ms Halter had rejected all of them, with ridiculous reasons not to. A tear fell from her eyes. For all these years, she had been told no one wanted to adopt her. Why had Ms Halter gone so far to keep this from her?

She moved to the stairs, her expression still shocked. Sitting down, she held her necklace tight, small tears beginning to fall. The only item and memory she had left of her family was a silver necklace, with a charm in the shape of a red and white striped top hat. She had grown attached to the old and odd thing, it always seeming to comfort her.

"I wish I could get out of here," she wished, closing her eyes. "I don't care how or even where... just somewhere where I can find myself, to have a friend and to not be alone in this universe anymore…" Suddenly, she heard a loud bump, which seemed to be coming from upstairs. The noise made her jump and soon, she found herself slowly walking up the stairs. Hoping it wasn't a burglar or an intruder, she closed her eyes before she got to the top. When she was on the top floor, Kirsty open her eyes and looked around, to see who was in the room. To her surprise, there was nobody in sight. Still a tiny bit scared, she decided that a sleep would do her good, but before she could get to her bed, she found herself face to the floor. Picking herself up, she looked to see what she had tripped over and her eyes went wide.

In the centre of the room was a tall white top hat, covered in thick red stripes.

A shiver went down her spine, as she began to circle the strange hat, millions on thoughts running around her head. _How did that get here? It wasn't there when I was up here earlier…_

She reached out her hand towards the hat, but pulled it back, her strong, serious side coming into force against her weak, creative streak. _What if it's dangerous? ... No, that's just stupid! What if it could help me? Maybe it and I are connected! ...But what if it is nothing? ...But what if it isn't?_

She swiped the air, as if she was pushing away her thoughts, trying to think clearly. After studying the hat for a bit longer, she made her decision. "Well..." she said aloud, quite unsure. “Here goes nothing! What have I got to lose? It's not like anything crazy will happen, right?" She softly touched the hat, getting more confident the longer she did, and next, picked it up. Putting it gently on her head, it flew out of her hands.

Puzzled, she tried to find it, but was interrupted by someone tapping her on the shoulder. When she turned around, she screamed with terror. A giant cat was standing next to her, smiling like crazy at her. Her quiet night was turning out to be the strangest one of her life.


	3. Chapter 2: Think a Glimmer of Light!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages." -William Shakespeare

**Chapter 2: Think a Glimmer of Light!**

As Kirsty kept screaming, the strange figure just laughed at her, trying to remain standing. The man, or cat, was covered in short jet-black fur, except for a tip on his tail, face and middle. He looked pretty normal for his species, expect for the fact he was six foot in height, was wearing an oversized red bow tie, white gloves and that hat, now perked comfortably on his head. Even though she didn't entirely recognise him, she felt like she knew him from somewhere. After a few seconds, Kirsty managed to pluck up some courage to talk to him.

"W-Who ar-are y-you?" Kirsty asked him, trying to sound a bit confident, but completely failing. "Wh-why a-ar-are y-you he-here? W-what d-do y-you w-want?"

The cat burst out laughing hysterically again, appearing behind her, which made Kirsty run to a corner of the room. "That's really good! In fact, it's hurting my head!" After a few more seconds, he stopped, his smile wiped off his face. "Wait, did you really mean what you just said?"

"I seriously don't know who you are," Kirsty replied, her nerves slowing down enough for her so she could speak clearly. "I haven't seen you before in my life."

_Wow, this is a first. My heart's filled with tears. A child who hasn't heard of us, their life filled with fears. She probably doesn't even known how to have fun…_

He chuckled, noticing he was rhyming again. It had been a long time since he had done this. "Maybe, who knows, this girl could be the one..." Appearing by her side, he continued. "I am the Cat in the Hat. Or Cat, which you can call me. It is an absolute pleasure to finally meet you again, Kirsty." He bowed, tipping his hat to her. Kirsty's mouth opened wide, shocked, as she moved a few steps away from the corner of the room. How did he know who she was? But then she remembered the man from before and instantly, she knew.

"You were Cameron, weren't you?"

Giving her the signature smile his alter ego had given her earlier, her guess was confirmed. "Indeed I was. Your memory is top degree. Except I was in human form, which isn't now what you see. This is my regular form, one which I am most famous for. Aren't I just awesome, not one single flaw?" He went off in his own little world for a little while after that, which made Kirsty raise her eyebrows at him. What was with this guy? He was just so crazy, and what was with him and rhyming all the time? "Well, actually the form I was once famous in, before he broke the eternal vow. Our live were so much different to what they are now…" Those words made Kirsty spin her head around, interested to hear more. What did he mean about once famous in, and what was the rule? But she had the feeling that he didn't exactly want to talk about it any further, so she didn't say anything to him about it.

Meanwhile, the Cat walked around her, as if he was examining her. He shook his head, not impressed with what he saw. "On another note, something must be done about this." From what we has saying, Kirsty knew he was talking about her clothes. She knew they weren't that great, but that was all she had! "A girl like you shouldn't be covered in black, it's like a complete abyss!" he clicked his fingers, which changed Kirsty's old black clothes into a red and white ensemble, filled with Seussian flair, with a human twist. "Now, this isn't what I expected, but it seems quite all right. My girl, you are definitely pulling off the stripes of red and white."

Kirsty laughed, which hadn't done in quite a long time. Even though her clothes were a bit bright and twisted, she liked them. They somehow seemed to suit her." So, where do you come from? And why have you come here?" she asked him.

It took a few minutes before the Cat could answer her question, pondering about it to himself. Could he trust this human. Did she have the skills? "This may be hard to understand, I could see why it might. I come from a dimension that's filled with strange creatures, where thinks can take their flight. Where anything is possible and your mind can run loose. What is this place you ask? It is simply just called Seuss." His head moved towards the window, his mood turning sad. "But lately our worlds have been taking a deep turn for quite the worse. Everything that we know and think has been hit with an unknown curse. A dreadful curse at that, darkness befalling every heart. It is slowly unthinking all of us, tearing our existence apart." Looking back to Kirsty, he disappeared and reappeared next to her. "But, a prophecy was once told of, a thinker who thinks were so insane–"

His speech was interrupted by Kirsty, who softly tapped him on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, but what is a thinker?"

"Someone whose thinks are not so plain," he simply said, like he had answered her question. "As I was about to say, before you politely suspended my tale, this thinker was not who you would expect, their life like a terrible gale. For this thinker was in fact a human, for years none knew who."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"That thinker's none other but you!"

Kirsty froze with shock, not believing what she had just heard. "Me? B-But I'm just a normal g-girl! You must have made a mistake, it can't be me! This is impossible!" she tried to explain to him, but her calls were unanswered, as he vanished into thin air, laughing. He quickly rematerialized, on the same ledge she had been sitting on earlier that night.

"I see you have quite a mind for your age! Why, one think and you dragged me right onto this stage!" the Cat began, on his face a smile of complete and utter mischief. "Now I'm here, there is no telling what may ensue, with a Cat such as me and a Thinker like you!" He disappeared again, leaving Kirsty completely confused.

"Oh, the thinks you can think! Oh, the thinks you can think, if you're willing to try," he sang to her, as he reappeared beside her. At that moment, Kirsty began to realize that the room has slowly changing. Smoke was trailing across the floor and strange trees and buildings were growing around her, like magic.

She tried to back away, scared out of her wits. "What's going on?" Unfortunately for her, the Cat wasn't going to help her.

"Think invisible ink. Or a gink with a stink! Or a stair to the sky!" the Cat continued on, even though he noticed the child beside him was frightened. He knew his strategy would work. "If you open your mind, oh the things you will find lining up to get loose. Oh, the thinks you can think when you think about Seuss!"

Suddenly, a red and white portal opened up near them. Heaps of different thinks, of all different colours, sizes and shapes jumped out and began to join in with the Cat's sudden musical number. "Seuss!" they all shouted, as they began to circle her. "Seuss! Seuss! Seuss! Seuss! Seuss! Seuss! Seeeuuusss!" As they sang the last Seuss, they began give Kirsty some space, getting a place around the room, which now looked like a stage, more extravagant than a theatre on Broadway. "Oh, the thinks you can think! Any thinker who thinks can come up with a few!"

The Cat moved back next to Kirsty, so she didn't try and run away. "All the things you can think!" he sang, trying to encourage Kirsty to loosen up and have a bit of fun.

"Think a trip on a ship, to the Vipper of Vipp or to Solla Sollew. Think of a beautiful Schlopp..." all the cast continued on, just before they dropped down to the floor.

"With a cherry on top!" the Cat said.

Everyone jumped back up suddenly, which gave Kirsty a fright. "You don't need an excuse!" they told her, while she caught back her breath. "Oh, the thinks you can think, when you think about Seuss! Seuss! Seuss! Seuss! Seuuuuuuuuuuuuss! Hmmmmm..." As the lights began to fade, the entire cast froze and a spotlight went on the Cat and Kirsty and a few other thinks.

"Think of an elephant up in a tree," an elephant sang, giving a small wave to her.

As she waved back, two adults, dressed in colourful clothing, came into view. "Think of a person too tiny to see!" they softly spoke, looking up to the sky.

"Think of a bird with a one-feather tail," a young girl bird with a small one feathered lilac purple tail sang, giving Kirsty a sweet smile.

"Going on adventures down a dangerous trail! Oh!" everyone sang, coming back to life. Their line was so powerful, that Kirsty flew right onto the other side of the room, banging her head on the wall.

When the cast returned to their frozen positions, a dazzling hot pink feathered girl bird came over to her. "Think of a bird who flies off on a spree!" she sang in a Latin accent, quickly showing off her glamorous tail to Kirsty, before leaving, without even helping her up. Luckily, the Cat was kind enough to help her stand, bring her back to the middle of the room.

After thanking him, a dark purple female kangaroo and her joey hopped forward. "Think of a kangaroo, sour as can be!" they sang with all their sass, giving Kirsty a look.

Stepping back, she bumped into a man, dressed in a military uniform. "Think of a general crazy for war!" he shouted, swinging his sword at her. She managed to duck her head before he could hit her, just as a brown furry hand grabbed her arm.

"Think of some monkeys with trouble in store!" one the owner of the hand sang mischievously, which turned out to a group of monkey brothers.

"Think of two creatures called Things 1 and 2!" two small thinks dressed in red with blue hair sang, as they lead her away from the troublesome group. The two spoke in a language Kirsty had never heard before, which, almost immediately, she recognised them as the two associates who were with the Cat when she first met him as Cameron.

When they let her go, a boy who was about a year younger than herself, dressed in orange, stepped forward. "Think of a boy who has Thinks just like you!" he sang to Kirsty, as a group of multi-coloured fish swam round her. She smiled, as the moved away, hoping she could get a chance to meet him again.

"Think of a bird, evil down to the core!" a black eagle squawked evilly, which made Kirsty trip over in fright.

Just before hit the ground, the Cat caught her in his arms. "Think of a cat who pops up at your door!" the entire cast sang, coming back into motion.

The Cat lifted her up, and regained his proper position. "How ya doing, hello! I'll be running the show. I'm your host and MC," he announced, tipping his hat to Kirsty, which made her blush.

"He's your host and MC," a group of bird girls, echoed back.

He materialised to her other side, flashing a smile. "I'll pop up here and there."

The cast moved in closer to her. "And you'll never know where, who or what he might be. You'll see!" they added.

"Take a tip from the Cat and hold onto your hat!" he ruffled the teenager's hair, seeing she had calmed down.

"Cause this ain't Mother Goo-oo-oose!" the cast chimed in.

The Cat disappeared and reappeared, hanging down from the ceiling. "Think right over the brink!"

He quickly reappeared back beside her, as the cast moved away from her into small groups. "When you think about Seuss!" they sang, before they froze in position.

"An unusual story will soon be unfurled, of an elephant trying to save a small world. And a boy from that world, who had troubles galore," the Cat narrated, explaining the story to Kirsty, who was now quite interested. It was as if she had been sucked into a book or something!

A spotlight went on one of half of the room, which consisted of people quite like the two adults she had seen earlier. "Just think! From the planet of Who," the group exclaimed, as the young boy stepped forward again.

"And the smallest of small," he added.

"To the Jungle of Nool," the other half of the room sang, as a spotlight appeared on them. They were quite different to the people of Who, their appearances more animal like.

The elephant, who she had seen earlier, stepped forward as well, so he was in line with the teenage boy. "And the largest of all," he continued.

"You think and think and think and think and think and think and think, JUST THINK!" The whole cast shouted, the whole room now light up. "Oh the thinks you can think, think and wonder and dream...far and wide as you dare!"

As the cast sang, the Cat laughed, seeing Kirsty's face, which was of utter amazement. It was hard to imagine that only a few minutes ago, this same girl had been scared beyond compare. "Oh the thinks you can think!" he sang, before he held his hand out to Kirsty, as if wanting her to dance with him. After a few seconds of hesitation, she took it and he spun her around, the room sparkling as they danced together.

"When your thinks have run dry, in the blink of an eye, there's another world there-er-ere! If you open your mind, oh the thinks you will find, lining up to get loose! Oh the thinks you can think!" the cast continued, as the Cat lifted Kirsty up in the air. A smile began to grow on her face, now having the confidence to let go in the music.

"Oh, the thinks you can think!" the creature of Jungle of Nool sang back, wildly.

The rest of the cast sang, as they paused. "Oh, the thinks you can think!"

"Oh, the thinks you can think!" the town of Whoville echoed.

At that moment, the whole cast joined in with the Cat and Kirsty, beginning to break out in dance. "Oh, the thinks you can think when you think about Seuss! When you think about Seuss! When you think about Seuss!" The more the music went on, the crazier they got. At the peak of the music, the Cat and Kirsty both spun to each other.

When they did, the cast stuck a pose, letting all their energy out. "Seuss!" they yelled out. When they did, everything had disappeared and the room was back to its original form. After a few seconds, they slowly let go of each, giving each a bit of breathing space.

"Wow!" Kirsty exclaimed, wide eyed. "That was…completely amazing! Incredible! Brilliant! I've never felt so good in all my life! How did you do that?"

The Cat smiled, feeling the girl's joy, as his two helpers came to his side. Something about her was different; he now understood why she was the one. "Well, I am extremely glad you had an absolute ball. How would you like to come with me and experience it all?"

The reaction he had expected was the complete opposite of what Kirsty was about to say. She stayed silent for a couple of seconds then shook her head. "No…no, no. This cannot be happening. This isn't happening. This has to be one of my dreams. Six foot tall talking Cat's don't exist? And worlds beyond this one definitely don't, they can't!" she said, refusing to believe this was actually happening.

"I told you!" Thing One cried, speaking in the same language she had heard them speaking in earlier.

The Cat looked completely shattered, his hat even starting to droop. "Oh dear…" he said, as the two things started to walk towards Kirsty.

"I said to you that she wasn't the right one, but you didn't listen to a word," Thing One shouted, an angry look appearing on their face.

Thing Two started to make their way over to Kirsty as well, the look on their face the same as their twin. "Actually, you were the one who said she was the right one, I was the one you heard."

While his two helpers were starting to scare Kirsty again, the Cat just stood where he was. "I was so certain of you. Was nothing you said actually true?"

"I'm sorry! I don't mean to be the wrong person that you're looking for!" Kirsty protested. Suddenly she stopped, a thought coming to her head. "Wait, this is my dream. I'm going to wake up and you'll all disappear. I'll just go back to my old life, even though it was bad. This can't be happening!" She closed her eyes and firmly pinched her arm, like she had done with all the nightmares she had experience, which was quite a lot.

After a moment, she opened her eyes again. The three creatures were still standing there, looking at her with wide eyes. She pinched herself, harder this time, but she still couldn't get out of this dream. "That's odd," Kirsty mumbled, as the three continued to stare at her. "Pinching usually works…" She looked around, trying to find something to make herself awake. Seeing a small bottle filled with purple liquid in one of the Thing's hands, she snatched it off him, removing the top. "If this doesn't get me out of this nightmare, nothing will."

The three creatures in the room gasped, especially the Cat, who remembered the warning the person who had given it to him had said. "No, please! Kirsty!" he cried out, trying to stop her.

It was too late. The liquid quickly flowed down Kirsty's throat. After she had drunk the condense of the bottle, she began to feel quite strange. She started to cough, an unusual smoke coming out of her mouth, suffocating her. As she fell into unconsciousness, the floorboards around her started to disappear, and two giant red and white portals appeared. One of them sucked her up, while the other took the Cat and both the Things with it, leaving the room completely deserted.


	4. Chapter 3: A Person's A Person, No Matter How Strange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Sometimes the best relationships are formed by the most unlikely pair."- Kenneth G. Ortiz

**Chapter 3: A Person's a Person, No Matter How Strange**

In a place far from her orphanage, another red and white portal opened and dropped Kirsty into a mass of fruit trees, sending a few of them at her head. She landed on the ground quite hard, which brought her back into consciousness. When she had picked herself up, she suddenly had the strong feeling that she had forgotten something, something important. As she tried to remember what had happened to her in the last few hours, something came to her mind.

Where in the world was she?

Looking around at her surroundings, she assumed that she was right in the middle of a strange jungle, filled with unusual species of trees and plants, their main shade either blue or red. The undergrowth wasn't the only thing that worried Kirsty, however. Just the whole feel of the place seemed different to what she was used to, that made her feel incredibly out of place. Suddenly, a small bug flew in front of her face, which later she saw looked to be a fish like creature with wings like a bird.

"What is this place? How on earth did I get here?" she asked herself, a bewildered look on her face. "Before I was sitting on my bed at my orphanage, and now I'm stuck in a jungle?"

Shaking and shivering with cold, Kirsty also discovered that her clothes were different. She was dressed in a red, white and black outfit, which she never had expected herself to ever wear. Also, she noticed that her face was cleaner and her hair wasn't tangled, now pin straight. When she moved a few steps backwards, she tripped over something, which she found to be a small black bag, with a red and white striped hat embroidered on it. Picking it up, it felt light and empty, even though she could see it bulging, and when she put her hand inside it, she could never touch the bottom of the bag.

_What is with me today? Why doesn't anything make sense anymore? This can't really be happening, I must just be hallucinating!_

Unexpectedly, the noises came to a halt and the sun slowly disappeared behind black clouds, creating a haunting mood. Starting to become scared, Kirsty's muscles tensed and she started to breathe in quickly. Suddenly, she felt hot breath of her neck and something on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw an enormous figure right in front of her. Scared beyond belief, she screamed in terror. Trying to run away from the monster, she tripped over a tree root, twisting her ankle. Fearing for her life, she curled herself up into a ball on the ground and tried her best to reason with the creature.

"Please! I mean you no harm!" she pleaded to it, shutting her eyes up tight. "Please, don't eat me!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Calm down! It's okay," the creature told her, his voice gentler than she expected. "I'm not going to eat you."

"What-" Kirsty began, as she looked up. She gasped, as she saw the creature standing in front of her. It was an elephant, who looked much more exciting than the elephants she had seen in books. "You can talk?" Kirsty asked, still fearful of this talking animal.

The elephant raised an eyebrow. "Of course I can," he replied. "Every animal can talk in Nool."

"Nool?" she repeated, puzzled.

An intrigued look on his face, the elephant started to study her. "By the looks of you, you must be new here! I am so sorry for scaring you. It's just that we haven't had any newcomers in a long time," he apologised to her. "Welcome to the Jungle of Nool, right next to the River Walloo. I'm Horton, Horton T. Elephant. You'll fit in quite nicely here, I'm positive."

"I don't mean to be rude, but do you know how I can get out of here?"

Shaking his head, Horton answered her. "That I don't know, I'm afraid. If you head westward, you hit the Desert of Dreze. Over to the south, are the Bad Lands. It's called that for a reason, I'll have you know. And right before the horizon is Mount Nool, with its great cliffs and high altitude climbs. The reason we have had no newcomers, is because no one has found anything past these places. We're the start and end of the road." Seeing the girl sad face, he put his trunk out to her. "Hey, how about you stay with me for the time being? It's not safe for someone like you to be out all alone. I'll help you, if you will let me?"

After hesitating, she carefully grabbed his trunk and he pulled her up, taking her out of the dark corner of the jungle and leading her through the foliage. "So, do you have a name?" Horton asked her.

"Kirsty. Just Kirsty," she told him, giving a little smile.

"Kirsty? What a lovely name!" he said, returning the smile.

While Horton took her through the jungle, she started to notice music softly playing, like bongo drums, mixed in with the occasional growl or tweet. Her guide noticed this as well, and explained it to her." You're probably wondering what that noise is. It's just the usual jungle beat. It comes around now and again, but it's nothing to worry about." Horton told her, as he went into a large bush. "Come on, I want to show you something..."

Following him, Kirsty gasped in amazement at the sight she saw. She had been brought into a massive clearing, the light and colour of the jungle almost blinding her. Everywhere she looked, she was amazed. It was as if she had stepped right into the most bright, crazy and utterly impossible painting, the atmosphere so breathtaking. "This…this is incredible…" she managed to say, still in complete awe.

Horton nodded, taking in the bright sun. "Things always look better in the sunlight, don't they?" He moved over to the small pool of water in the middle of the clearing, resting himself in the cool water. "Wow, it's getting hot today!" He sucked up a load of water in his trunk and sprayed it over himself, cooling his upper half. Noticing Kirsty was still standing over by the bushes, he sucked up another load of water and sprayed her. She spluttered, her daydream interrupted. "Come on, you're not still scared of me, are you? Trust me, I wouldn't hurt a fly. Just relax, have fun!"

"Have fun?" Kirsty echoed, the words tasting a bit strange in her mouth. As if on cue, a drum began and a group of three flamboyant young girl birds appeared, and various jungle animals came into view, singing a catchy backing tune. Kirsty noticed this and watched on, bemused.

_Why did they just start singing at random? This world is crazier than I thought…_

Shortly after they entered, Horton began to sing with them. "On the fifteenth of May, in the jungle of Nool, in the heat of the day, in the cool of the pool. He was splashing." he showered Kirsty with yet another wave.

"Splash!" the jungle animals exclaimed.

_What's with all the random sound effects? And why is everyone suddenly speaking in rhyme!? Oh my, what have I landed myself into…?_

"Enjoying the jungle's great joys, when Horton the elephant," Horton continued, looking to the teenager, who had the sudden urge to continue on from where he had left off.

"Horton the elephant," she attempted to sing in tune. Horton smile at her, which made Kirsty blushed. Did he think she was okay? She had never sung in front of people before, only singing softly in her room when no one was around. But, for some reason, she felt a lot more comfortable than she had expected to be.

The three girl birds stepped forward, repeating Kirsty's line. "Horton the elephant."

"Heard a small noise," Horton and Kirsty sang together, both confused slightly by the line which they had just said.

"Help! Help!" a small voice called out, desperately, which Kirsty had somehow heard.

She turned to the elephant, which hadn't seemed to have noticed the cry for help from the mysterious creature. "Horton?" she whispered to him. "Am I going mad or did I just here a person calling for help just now?"

At first, Horton couldn't hear it, but after listening a bit harder, he could also hear it. "I can hear it too!" he said to her, just before the music continued on, and the blue feathered girl bird, began to sing.

"So Horton stopped splashing, he looked toward the sound," she narrated, however, Kirsty could plainly see she was confused, as if she hadn't heard the voice which they had both heard.

"Why can't they hear it?" she whispered to herself aloud, just before Horton started to sing again.

"That's funny," he thought to himself, aloud.

"Thought Horton-" the group of girl birds added.

"There's no one around," he continued on, for some reason oblivious to the fact that a crowd had gathered around them both.

The yellow feathered girl bird stepped forward, looking a little less confident than the other bird before her. "Then they heard it again," she sang, as confused as the others.

"Just a very faint yelp," the green feathered girl bird added, also confused.

"As if some tiny person were calling for help," Kirsty sang, as she heard the voice again.

"Help! Help!" the voice yelled out again, even more determined than before, even though it barely could be heard.

Horton exited the pool with Kirsty right behind him, desperate to find out where the voice had come from. "I'll help you," he sang.

"Said Horton," the girl birds chimed in.

"But who are you, and where?" Horton said, as he and Kirsty began to look around the jungle.

The three girl birds looked the two strangely, before saying their line. "They looked and they looked. They could see nothing there!" Horton and the Bird Girls sang. It was at that moment, that Kirsty spotted something, blowing in the distance. It was a small speak of dust, which could hardly be seen with the naked eye. For some reason, she knew that was where the voice was coming from.

"But a small speck of dust blowing past..." she sang, which gained Horton's attention to it.

"Through the air," they both sang. The jungle animals and the three girl birds look on confused, not even noticing the dust speck.

Horton kept his eyes on the speck of dust, saying the next line with much amazement. "I say! How confusing! I've never heard tell of a small speck of dust that is able to yell, so you know what I think?" he told Kirsty, who was also watching the speck. "Why I think that there must be someone on top of that small speck of dust."

"Some poor little person who's shaking with fear."

"That he'll blow in the pool! He has no way to steer!"

"He's alone in the universe…" Kirsty said sadly, remembering her wish she had made a few hours ago. Coincidently, the music softened and everyone grew silent, including Horton.

"We'll just have to save him because after all, a person's a person, no matter how small," Horton sang, quite beautifully and heartfelt, as if he was reading Kirsty mind. He smiled at Kirsty, as they both began to sing together again.

"A person's a person no matter how-," they sang, as the jungle came back to life from the silence. "Small..." the two sang, while the jungle animals did a beat.

Meanwhile, the girl birds went to their positions, carrying on their job as narrators. "So, gently, and using the greatest of care, the elephant stretched his great trunk through the air," the three sang, as Horton and Kirsty got their rescue plan into action. Horton followed the speck, the dust landing softly on his trunk, while Kirsty found something to protect it. "And he lifted the dust speck and carried it over and placed it down," As they finished their line, Kirsty got onto Horton's with a fluffy pink clover and the dust slowly floated onto it.

"Safe!" they both said, sighed, as the music died down.

"On a very soft clover," the girl birds finished. When the music finally stopped, Horton clutched the clover in his trunk, gripping it tightly.

He looked to Kirsty, who was standing a few steps away from him now. "Thank you for helping me there. You have a lovely, sweet voice, you know," he commented, which made Kirsty slightly blush.

"Thank you for the compliment, but I don't have that great a voice. You, however, are a brilliant singer. Do those random musical numbers happen often around here?"

"No actually. This is the first time I've even seen something like this happen and I've been here for quite a long time."

"So, are you sure that there is a person on this speck of dust?"

Horton was just about to answer the teenager, before a dark purple kangaroo entered from the foliage. She had a wicked look on her face, which made Kirsty feel incredibly uncomfortable. "I don't know, but it's too late to back down now," he answered her, as the kangaroo eyed the clover.

Whoever she was, something about her made Kirsty sure that her new life in the jungle was going to get off to a sour start.


	5. Chapter 4: Whos and Kangaroos Don't Mix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal."- Steve Maraboli

**Chapter 4: Whos and Kangaroos Don't Mix**

When the kangaroo entered, Kirsty whispered to Horton, who was standing in front of her. "Uh, Horton? Who is that? Do you know her?" She didn't get a reply from him, but she could see that he did recognise her, and from the look on his face, didn't exactly see eye to eye.

"Humpf! ... Humpfed a voice. 'Twas a sour kangaroo," the kangaroo sang in a proud tone, as the music changed to a sassy, upbeat tune. "And the young kangaroo in her pouch said:" On cue, a smaller kangaroo appeared from her pouch and jumped out, giving Horton the same look his mother had given the elephant earlier.

"Humpf!" the little kangaroo grunted.

"Too!" Sour continued, as she moved towards a scared Horton, inspecting his clover. She didn't seem to notice Kirsty, who was now a few feet away from them.

"Why, that speck is as small as the head of a pin. A person on that, why there never has been!" she said to him, letting out a derisive laugh. "You're the biggest blame fool in the Jungle of Nool and I don't care who I tell. The biggest blame fool in the Jungle of Nool."

"And I think so as well!" her son added.

His mother smiled at her son, then looked back to Horton. "Maybe I'm nasty, maybe I'm cruel. But you're the biggest blame fool," she shouted, for all the jungle to hear.

"In the Jungle of Nool," the young kangaroo finished off.

Horton stepped forward, trying to defend the dust speck. "It's true. Please believe me! I tell you sincerely. My ears are quite keen and I heard them quite clearly. I know there's a person down there and what's more."

"Quite likely there's two, even three, even four!" Kirsty said, making her presence known to the kangaroos. When she did, the Sour Kangaroo's eyes went wide. Who and what was this creature? She had never seen her before, in all her time as self-proclaimed head of the jungle. Something about the teenager made her suspicious.

Without any warning, a monkey, who was wearing a green fedora, jumped down from the trees, scaring Kirsty. "Ha! Laughed a voice!" he shouted.

"Ha! Laughed some others!" a second monkey shouted, wearing a similar yellow fedora to the first, a little less confidently. He looked to be a few years younger than the first.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Laughed the Wickersham brothers!" another monkey shouted, who wore a pink fedora and looked to be the oldest of the 'brothers'. He grabbed Kirsty by the wrist, as they started to dance around her.

"Oh, he's the biggest blame fool in the Jungle of Nool, and monkeys like us should know," the Wickershams told her, for some reason, now interested in her.

"No, no, no, no!" Sour added, also now focusing on Kirsty.

"We've been out on a limb, lookin' down on him-," the brothers sang.

They moved to Horton, who was rather hoping they had forgotten about him."And he's fat!" the oldest sang, pocking Horton rather hard.

"He's dumb!" the middle one added, tricking Horton, making him trip over.

"He's slow!" the youngest one joined in, while Horton tried to stand up.

"Uh huh!" the Sour Kangaroo commented, sticking her nose up at him.

"Elephants ain't too swift as a rule, but he's the biggest blame fool in the Jungle of Nool," the Sour Kangaroo and the Wickershams sang, returning to Kirsty." 'Cause he's talkin' to a speck - talkin' to a speck - To a speck of dust."

"Blame fool in the Jungle of Nool," the middle Wickersham told her.

"Talkin' to a speck, talkin' to a speck, to a speck of dust!" they continued.

"Blame fool in the Jungle of Nool" the middle Wickersham repeated.

The Sour Kangaroo took Kirsty away from them, giving her an opportunity she could refuse. "R-e-s-p-e-c-k! Oh, please! Take that speck away!" she told her, giving her the chance to be with her. Kirsty looked to Horton, then back to Sour, who was smiling at her. She knew she didn't have much time to answer, and before she could say anything, words began to come out of her mouth automatically.

"No! I won't! I heard it as well!" she shouted to the jungle, the music screeching to a halt. The whole jungle watched in amazement, especially Horton, who was completely speechless. "You must have heard it, it was as clear as a bell. I really don't care if you are a leader or cool," she pointed to the Sour Kangaroo. "Really YOU'RE the biggest blame fool in the Jungle of Nool!"

All the citizens of the jungle gasped, whispering to each other. No one had ever said that to the Sour Kangaroo! Kirsty put her hands to her mouth, realising what she had done. She had never meant to say that out loud! She tried to hide her mistake, but it was no use; the damage was already done.

"Oh, really?" Sour said to Kirsty, giving her an evil smile. This had only worked to her advantage. She turned to the Wickershams. "Spread the news boys. We now have two fools in the Jungle of Nool."

Unfortunately for Horton and Kirsty, the music started up again and the rest of the jungle joined the kangaroo in mocking them. "Did you hear? Did you hear? Did you, did you hear?" they sang, rumours spreading fast.

The three girl birds from earlier came back into view and moved over to where the Wickershams had been standing, who were now racing across the jungle, spreading the gossip of the speck. "Through the jungle, the news quickly spread."

"Did you hear? Did you hear? Did you, did you hear?" the jungle citizens repeated.

"They talk to a dust specks! They're out of their heads!"

_Great…now everyone is going to know about the speck…Well, at least things can't get any more out of proportion, right?_

Kirsty's thought was interrupted as a man, who looked to be a news reporter, came onto the scene. He was followed by two small creatures, one holding a video camera and the other a boom microphone. "Our topic today is "Psychic elephants and strange unidentified creatures who hear voices," he said, which made Kirsty groan in frustration.

_I stand corrected. This entire world is the meaning of the saying 'out of proportion'…_

The reporter ignored her and continued talking to the camera. "Whaddaya think, folks... Is the elephant off his trunk? Is the strange creature even stranger than we first thought?"

_And now I am a strange, unidentified creature. What is this world? It just loves to make my life even more difficult._

"We'll be right back with 'speck', 'clover', 'dust', 'neighbor', 'who'... Stay tuned - we'll be right back!" The music went back to its usual groove and the man and his companions moved themselves around, until they reached a young girl bird. She looked different to the girl birds Kirsty had seen earlier, her tail the major difference, which was only made of one lilac coloured feather.

"Biggest blame fools in the Jungle of Nool," the jungle chanted, as the young bird began to speak to the reporter.

"I'm Gertrude McFuzz, and I live right next door. He's never done anything crazy before," she said to the man, before looking toward Horton and his new friend.

"Biggest blame fools in the Jungle of Nool," the jungle repeated.

She cleared her throat, her confidence struggling. "He's always been friendly and loyal and kind. I just don't believe Horton's out of his mind!" she said, sincerely. Horton tried to thank Gertrude, but she moved away before he could speak to her.

The reporter moved around, until a glamorous and flamboyant young girl bird stopped him in his tracks. She was almost the complete opposite of Gertrude, her very large pink shaded tail the most obvious.

"Did you hear? Did you hear? Did you, did you hear?" The jungle sang.

The pink girl bird pulled the microphone up to her mouth, the reporter frozen in awe. "I'm Mayzie La Bird and I live in that tree," she told the man, showing off her magnificent self.

"Did you hear? Did you hear? Did you, did you hear?" the jungle repeated.

"Enough about Horton. Let's talk about me!" Mayzie proclaimed, grabbing the microphone out of the man's hand. The three girl birds moved over to her, acting as her backup singers. "Let's talk about, talk about, talk about, talk about... Me!" they sang, just before the man managed to snap out of his trance and get his microphone back.

The reporter ran around, interviewing many jungle citizens as he went, while they continued to sing. "Talkin' to a speck, talkin' to a speck, to a speck of dust!"

"Blame fools, just a fool, just a fool!" the Sour Kangaroo sang.

"Talkin' to a speck, talkin' to a speck, to a speck of dust!" the jungle repeated, beginning to dance around Horton and Kirsty. Gertrude stood to the side, not wanting to get involved.

"Blame fools in the Jungle of Nool!" the Sour Kangaroo added, before the reporter held the microphone out to both Horton and Kirsty, the music dying down to a slow beat.

"We just had to save them, because after all," Horton sang softly. "A person's a person no matter how small."

Gertrude stepped a little bit forward and quietly began to sing with him and Kirsty. "A person's a person no matter how..." Their intermit moment was interrupted however, as the reporter left the scene and the music went back up to its original speed.

Everyone in the jungle was surrounding the two now, making it impossible to escape. "Biggest blame fools in the jungle of Nool, in the jungle anywhere," the entire jungle sang, teasing Kirsty and Horton. "Just two big nervous wrecks, they're protecting a speck, when they know there's no one there."

"Acting as if they're holding a jewel," the Wickershams sang, who were hanging down from the trees.

"Somebody stuck a truck on a mule," commented the Sour Kangaroo, looking to Horton.

"Biggest blame fools in the Jungle of Nool, Nool, Nool! In the jungle of Nool, Nool, Nool! In the jungle of Nool, Nool, Nool," the entire jungle sang, as the music reached a crescendo. Slowly, the creatures left the clearing, the Sour Kangaroo and her joey the last to leave.

Just before she disappeared, she looked to Kirsty. "Just to let you know, our community has standards. If you want to be a part of it, I recommend you follow them, or else, you will have to pay the price for breaking the rules." With that, her joey hopped back into his mother's pouch and they disappeared into the jungle.

* * *

 

Kirsty sat down on a rock, the clover now in her hands. The puffy pink plant hadn't made a sound since they placed the speck onto it. She looked to Horton, then back to the clover. "I'm really good at making a great first impression, aren't I?" she said, sarcastically, before sighing. "I didn't mean to say those things to Sour, really I didn't. It was as if someone had just put those words in my mouth." She looked to Horton, who was still standing where he had been for the past five minutes. "I still don't get how they didn't hear and I did. From what I know, humans have terrible hearing compared to animals. So why did things end up the way they did?"

"Maybe it was because they didn't listen hard enough?" Horton suggested. "Or maybe they didn't listen at all?"

His friend nodded, before a thought came to her. "Or maybe they didn't believe it, therefore they didn't hear it…" she whispered. She also wanted to know why the Sour Kangaroo was so harsh to Horton, like she had a grudge towards him for some peculiar reason, but she didn't want to pry in his personal life.

"Well, we told the truth. That's all we could do. If they choose to not believe us, then there isn't much we can do to change their view." Horton moved over to Kirsty, putting his trunk lightly on her shoulder. "How about we try talking to the clover, to see if their actually is life on this speck?"

As it did a few minutes before, the voice yelled out. "Help! Help!" it shrieked, making the two suddenly alert.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Horton asked the dust speak. "Who are you?"

"Well, " a male voice said, another beat began. " We're who's here. We are Whos here. Smaller than the eye can see. It's true, sir. We're Who's. Who, sir. I'm a Who and so is she."

When he finished, another voice was heard, this time a women's. "We're tiny little people, blowing by in the air, wondering how and why," they sang in unison." We're on Who, the ti-iniest Planet in the sky!" Just at that moment, the rest of Who began to hum a little tune.

Horton listened in amazement, his eyes wide with curiosity. Kirsty sat a little away from him, listening quietly and nervously. Her mind was still getting used to this fantasy, her serious nature not familiar with this amount of impossibility.

"We're Whos here, win or lose here, struggling to stay alive. Each gust propels our dust. Oh, how the heck do Whos survive? At any given moment we could crash or be drowned, hitting the ground, oh my! Here on Who, the ti-iniest planet in the sky," all the Whos sang, before splitting into different parts.

"Who! Who! Who! Who!"

"I'm the mayor," the original voice, who now turned out to be the Mayor of this place, sang.

"Who! Who! Who! Who!"

"I'm his wife," The second voice added.

"Who! Who! Who! Who!"

"Just imagine the Whos' unusual life!" The couple sang, as Horton and Kirsty did just that. As if it was planned, Kirsty began to see what looked like a regular town, except nothing at all was straightforward or simple, but in a way, everything looked perfect and clean. She tried to tell her companion, but he was too busy focusing on the Who's story to notice. However, the picture quickly vanished, as Who continued.

"Picture the tiniest houses and grocery stores," a Who family sang.

"Tiny umbrellas that drip on the tiniest floors," another family added.

"The tiniest tunnels and tiniest streets."

"Miniature buses with miniature seats."

"Miniature buildings with miniature windows and doors!"

"No smaller town than yours," Horton said.

"We've got a marching band that is small but grand. Oh, you ought to hear them wail!" The whole who population sang, a bunch of peculiar sounding instruments playing on cue. They played for a few minutes, before the Whos continued with their song. "And every Christmastime, without fail, Mr. Grinch presents his Christmas tale!"

At that moment, the one who they called the Grinch started to sing, his voice a lot different to the rest of the Whos. "I re-enact my Christmas tale!" The music changed to a Christmas melody, where the Grinch began to tell his story. "Every who down in Whoville, liked Christmas a lot...But the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville...Did not!" When he finished, everyone applauded him with delight, including Horton and Kirsty.

"Imagine a place that is tidy and totally clean," the Mayor told them.

"Where even a Grinch wouldn't dare to be totally mean!" the Grinch added.

"You think that it's heaven on earth, yes, you do!" the Mayor said, a little bit of worry coming into his voice.

"But heaven on earth isn't heaven on Who!" his wife admitted, her voice changing also.

"Troubles on Who are the biggest that you've ever seen," all of Who sang, the music becoming tense. This made Kirsty somewhat confused, so she moved closer to Horton and the clover, wanting to know more.

"We're on the brink of war, they say," Mr Mayor stated.

"We're going to war, and oh my!" the whole of Who cried out

"'Cause if we do, then here on Who," Mrs Mayor sang.

"Well, you can kiss Whoville goodbye!" all of Who finished, their voices sad.

"Our skies are unbearably dark," the Mayor sang, with great sorrow.

"And war is unbearably near..." his wife added.

"And that's not the end of our troubles, here... " Mr Mayor sighed, the atmosphere grew tense. The music grew even gloomier, which made Horton and Kirsty begin to worry.

All the Whos grouped together, singing in a mourning tone. "For on the other side of town, the Truffula trees were all cut down. They once stood tall, in all their glory- But that's another story..." Kirsty glanced at Horton, who looked like he was about to cry, their story hitting him hard. She suspected that she looked simular, she was so shocked by what they had said, and that one single, miniscule planet could have so many problems. "So here on Who, we live in fear. We're drifting through space and cannot steer! A troubled and a tiny land ... Our futures in your hands... "

Horton turned to her, and held out his trunk, which meant that he needed her. Their words made Kirsty speechless, and slightly shocked. Give her this much responsibility? She could barely look after her own life, when she was in her orphanage, let alone an entire planet of beings! What if she stuffed up or worse? She stepped back a few steps, not knowing what to do.

Who must have predicted her reaction, as their next words were directing to her. "It's up to you, both. Please help Who, miss. You're the only ones who hear," they pleaded to her, the Mayor and his wife the loudest. "You must, miss! Save our dust, miss! Now that we have reached your ears! We're tiny little people Saying thanks in advance, hoping perchance, you'll try! Here on Who, The ti-iniest planet in the sky..." As their voices faded, Horton spoke to them.

"I won't let you down. No, I won't let you fall. A person's a person, No matter how small," he promised. He felt someone touch his truck, and turned to see Kirsty standing beside him.

"A person's a person," she continued, giving him a small smile.

"No matter how small," they both sang, gazing at the clover they held together.

"Whoooo!" All of Who sang in relief, before the clover grew silent once more.

The two creatures also were silent for a few seconds, both amassed with what had happened to them just a moment ago. "I can't believe it! We rescued an entire world!" Horton exclaimed, breaking the silence. "Now all we have to do is prove to the jungle that we aren't crazy, which shouldn't be too hard. How about I take you back to my place, where we can get you settled in? Or do you want to have a bit more of a look around?"

Kirsty shuddered, remembering her meeting with the Sour Kangaroo, along with the majority of the jungle. "It would probably be best if we save a tour until all the hullabaloo about the Whos has died down. We don't want you to become so scared you run away, do we?" the elephant said, almost reading her thoughts. She nodded, passing the clover to her, before he went in the direction they had come from before.

She followed him slowly, before stopping unexpectedly, something bright catching her eye. Looking at her necklace, she noticed that it now was engraved, the decorative writing illuminated. "Seussia…" she said aloud to herself, the word ringing a slight bell, but also feeling quite peculiar on her tongue. "Haven't I heard something like this somewhere before?"

"What did you say, Kirsty?" Horton asked her, while picking some yellow coloured berries from a bush a few meters away from her.

Before she could say anything, Kirsty felt a slight shaking, like a tremor. "Uhh...Horton?" Kirsty said, noticing that the vibrations had ground bigger and the trees were shacking violently around her. "What's going on?" Without warning, a red and white portal appeared and drew her in, before she could react or yell out to Horton.

When Horton turned around, a handful of berries in his truck, he gasped, seeing the clover on the ground and no Kirsty in sight. "Kirsty?" he called out, picking up the clover. "Where are you?" He numerous times, desperate to know what had happened to her, but she never responded, the familiar sound of the jungle the only thing he could hear.


	6. Chapter 5: Destination Whoville

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him."- David Brinkley

**Chapter Five: Destination Whoville**

"Settle down everyone! We have many things in need of discussion, so let's bring this meeting to order!"

All the entire room hushed down, as each major citizen of the city took their seats. All eyes were on the people at the front of the hall, which were the city council. The lead Chairman sat in the highest chair, making his power known to the entire room.

The Mayor of Whoville sat below them, in a much smaller chair. Nerves were filling up inside him, which he desperately tried to hide. He much disliked how intimidating the council were, especially the lead Chairman, who acted as if the Major was a young, unintelligent child. This wasn't going to be a good day, the Mayor knew that already. He knew the council wouldn't listen to him, but he had to try and get them to help him, to help their family.

After a short silence, the lead Chairman began the meetings procedures. "First on our agenda…Mister Mayor!" Those words made the Mayor flinch, then slowly looking up at the council. "I believe you have some good news you wish to bring to our attention?"

"Well…" he murmured, moving from his seat to the centre of the room. He shuffled his papers, utterly flustered, a couple of the flying out his hands. Looking across the room, his eyes immediately landed to his wife, who gave him a small nod and a smile, showing her faith in him. This made him regain his small amount of confidence to speak again. "It's news…I don't know what you would exactly you would label it but…the thing is, I have been given some rather odd pieces of information in these past few months…"

"Good odd pieces of information?" the lead Chairman enquired, now interested to know what he was talking about.

With his heart in his throat, Mr. Mayor took a breath in, knowing he was at the pointy end of his request. "Well, the first came to me in a letter. I first thought it was some hoax or a mistake, so I just ignored it. But then I received another, which in it made me want to explore it further, with professional help." The council leaned forward, which made the Mayor start to stutter. "What I-I trying to say is…I mean, what we're trying to say is…uh…will you consider…" His last words came out muffled, his confidence running out.

"Consider what?" Starting to lose his patience, the lead Chairman raised his voice, wanting a clear response. His reply was the same as earlier, the Mayor struggling to even give eye contact, his body filled with tension.

"What? Speak up, man!"

"…I want you to help me find our baby!"

The city council eye's widened, especially the lead Chairman, who was, for once, nearly speechless. "Excuse me? Since when did you and your wife-" he asked the Mayor, his voice much softer.

"-have a child?" the Mayor cut in, mustering up some courage. Seeing as the council wasn't going to answer, he continued talking. "Well, I never thought I did. We had always wanted a family, but after the accident…" his voice turned to a whisper, memories flowing back to him. "We knew it wasn't possible…But then, one day, we found these." He held up two photos, one which was of a baby, wrapped in a blanket, only a few days old and the other which was of a necklace, with a charm of a peculiar red and white striped top hat. "In the letter, it said that this was our blood child. The necklace, we don't know what it means, but we knew it mean something, and from the moment we saw the photographs, we knew that this mystery had to be solved. For months we've tried to get some leads on who gave us this information and how it connects, but it has all lead to nothing." Looking back to the council, his expression turned into a pleading look. "Please sirs, if you could just let us into the records, then we might be able to-"

The Mayor was interrupted by a screeching sound and a sharp coughing. Gulping, his eyes moved to the lead Chairman, who had risen from his seat. "Mister Mayor…" he began. "We are very busy people; you have known that since you arrived here and took up the mayoral position about fourteen years ago. Now, from what you know, do you really think men such as us have time for small, insignificant matters such as this?"

"I know that…I just thought-" he tried to find a comeback, but nothing could come quick enough, as the lead Chairman spoke over the top of him, his voice filled with anger.

"We have an entire city to run and keep peaceful, which, if you didn't know all ready, is actually your job!" the lead Chairman yelled. "You are here to keep the tradition of making this city the best it can be, not to pester us with some lost fantasy!"

"Fantasy?" the Mayor's wife repeated, making her presence known. She stood up from her seat behind her husband to the centre of the room, her voice slightly raised. "We didn't imagine them! They're real, I'm sure of it!"

The Mayor joined his wife centre stage, his voice changing to a pleading tone. "Please, sir, you must help us find them, otherwise-"

Without warning, something fell through the roof, which was in fact Kirsty. The Mayor pulled his wife back, as the teenager fell right into the centre of the room, landing harshly on the carpeted floor. Everyone rose out of their seats, wanting to know both if the person was all right and who in fact it was. After an few seconds wait, Kirsty slowly raised her head a couple of inches from the ground, opened one of her eyes a fraction and soon after, blacked out, falling back onto the ground.

* * *

"What in the world just happened?"

"Somebody do something."

"Send for Doctor Whovy!"

"Stop crowding, let us through. Thank goodness. She's breathing. Are you all right, my dear?"

Opening her eyes, the first thing Kirsty saw when she regained consciousness were a pair of brown eyes and another of olive green. They both seemed familiar, but she couldn't put their faces to names. As her sight came back, she could see the eyes of brown belong to a middle aged man, who was holding her head in his hands. The green eyes belonged to a woman, about the same age, who was right by the man's side. They were both dressed in a vivid yellow, the bright glow of both their outfits and the entire room blinding her.

Kirsty nodded slightly, remembering their question. She had wondered why they would ask her such a thing, but then she remembered how she got her in the first place. Pain pieced through her leg, her ankle twisted awkwardly from the fall. She managed not to let out a cry, not wanting to look weak in front of them, and stood without much help, supporting her weight on her good leg.

"And who you might you be?"

The bitter voice went through Kirsty's body like a waterfall of ice, making Kirsty feel utterly uncomfortable. "Kirsty. Just Kirsty, sirs," she replied, bowing her head in apology to them. "I am incredibly sorry for interrupting your meeting. Hopefully you will understand when I tell you-"

The man who had spoken moved from his seat to the centre of the room, stopping her. "That is all I need to know. I am sure you did not mean for this to happen, but just try to be careful next time." Next, he moved his attention to the Mayor, on his face a scowl. "Now, if you don't mind, get someone to assort this young lady out. Then, we can finally get the rest of this meeting over and done with."

As the door slammed shut behind her, Kirsty started to examine her surroundings, taking in the quaintness, and quirkiness of this small city. Every one of the buildings had similarities to that of her old home, but with the amount of colour and curves in the architecture, was the polar opposite. From the stones in the pavement, to the white, fluffy clouds in sky, everything she saw was both out of place, yet fitting.

Either from over observing the complicated environment, or the fact she had just fallen through a room less than five minutes ago, she was starting to lose her proper balance, her head going in circles. She leaned against the wall, before sliding down to the ground. As she tried to slow herself down, she heard a sniff and the feeling that someone was watching her. Looking around, she saw a young teenage boy, dressed in a school uniform, hiding behind a corner, spying on her. He seemed to be a year younger than her, and was a foot and a half shorter as well. When she began to take a closer look at him, she had the peculiar feeling that they had met someplace before. His overall appearance was scruffy, much different to the people she had seen before. The more she looked into his deep brown eyes, the more she saw herself, when she lived in the orphanage, lost, confused and unwanted.

He seemed to recognise her as well, as he slowly came out of his hiding spot and sat a few metres away from her, not taking his eyes off her. The two were silent for a moment, each in deep thought. Each tried to start a conversation, but nothing could come to mind that seemed appropriate to talk about. It wasn't until Kirsty turned to him straight on, that he seemed interested, his eyes going wide when he saw her necklace. The boy's eyes grew wide, then without warning, he grabbed Kirsty and pushed open the door, rushing into the room.

"Oh, what is it now?!" The lead Chairman shouted, storming towards the two teenagers. Before he could lay a finger on them, he pulled the necklace out from Kirsty's neck, nearly chocking her.

The Mayor's wife stood from her seat. "Wait!" she shouted, causing the entire room to pause. She quietly moved over to the boy, investigating the necklace. She gasped, tears starting to fall from her eyes. All the while, Kirsty was looking at everyone, both confused and nervous. What was so shocking about her necklace, and why was everyone reacting like she had killed someone? She tried to apologise, but she was interrupted by the Mayor, who lifted her head up, his eyes sinking into hers, almost looking like he was about to cry.

"It's you…it's really you…my daughter…"

Those words made Kirsty shake her head in disbelief.  _No, these aren't my parents. They can't be. We look nothing alike; we're not even the same species. My parents died in a car accident! My parents are dead! These two people can't be my mother and father…they aren't!?_  The Mayor and his wife looked at her, like they were waiting for a response. But a response never came, as for the second time that day, Kirsty fainted.

This day was not going exactly the way she imagined it would…

* * *

As she came back into consciousness, Kirsty immediately realised three things.

One was that she was no longer in the council hall, but in a house, sitting obediently on a chair, in the centre of a dark, unknown room. Two, she now had a new outfit, which was in true Who style, in the same shade of yellow the Mayor and his wife had been wearing the last time she was awake. And finally, Three, she had been wrongly identified as the daughter to the most important political family in Whoville.

Before she could even speak, two spotlights came on out of nowhere. One was her, which was of no surprise, and the other was on the door. Right on cue, the Mayor and his wife walked through it, Mr Mayor carrying a briefcase, his wife holding an umbrella.

"Meet a tiny Who family on a small rainy day," Mr Mayor spoke, narrating to a non-existent audience.

"Mom and Dad are just home from the Who PTA," Mrs. Mayor added, shaking the water from the umbrella and placing it next to the door.

The couple looked across the room, their eyes landing straight at Kirsty. "And here's our lovely daughter!"

Moving towards her, their expressions changed to looks of concern. "In trouble again!"

"'Cause her Thinks take her places where no one has been!" they both told her, one on either side of her, making sure she couldn't escape.

"Kirsty..." Mr Mayor sighed, as he shook his head. There was then an uncomfortable silence before he spoke again. "I'm the Mayor of Who, a tradition we've long accepted. And upright behaviour is thus forth expected."

"But we've just had a talk with your teachers today and they didn't have one single good thing to say!" Mrs. Mayor added, tearfully.

"You invented new Thinks which defy all description!" he said, flinging his hands up in the air in disgust.

"You gave Miss O'Dooley a nervous conniption!"

"Your Thinks were so wild they disrupted your classes and made Mrs. Mackel-Who drop her new glasses. Which is why you're suspended!"

"Yes, that's what they said!"

"Young lady, what in who has got into your head?" They both asked her, anxious for an answer.

Now, at this point in time, Kirsty didn't know what to say. She knew she couldn't have done all of those things they had mentioned, as she had been in the Jungle of Nool for however long. Even though she hadn't done anything, she didn't mean to upset them. It was the first time she had been in a family, and she had made a terrible first impression. "I...um…" she mumbled softly, unable to create a believable excuse.

"Now Horton has found us. We're safe on a clover. But clearly our troubles are far, far from over," Mr .Mayor said, cutting Kirsty off.

Mrs. Mayor saw that the teenager was starting to become scared, so she stopped her husband and put her hand on her shoulder, gently, "We don't mean to scold you. We love you, oh, yes, dear. But couldn't you try thinking just a bit less, dear?"

Her husband saw this and also moved next to Kirsty, picking up her hand. "Stop telling such outlandish tales," he pleaded, in a much gentler tone.

"Stop turning minnows into whales." His wife helped Kirsty stand up.

"Now take your bath and go to bed."

"And think some normal thinks instead," the couple told her, before leaving the room in opposite directions.

Almost immediately, the lights came back on, revealing the appearance of the room, which happened to be a living room. The whole interior design of the space was as bright and outlandish as the rest of Whoville, with simular aspects of the furniture and feel of the room reflecting the late eighteenth century, giving the room a traditional and proper, yet eccentric vibe. It all amazed Kirsty, not ever knowing something as simple as a home could be so spectacular.

Remembering what her 'parents' had told her earlier, and not wanting to disappoint them further, she went up the cascade of stairs, looking for the bathroom. As she found the appropriate room, an object on the table beside the door caught her eye. It was a book, which was thicker than any she had seen. It was covered by red leather like material, with small crystals around its soft spine. As she cautiously picked it up and dusted the cover, she began to sneeze.

When all the dusk was removed, she noticed that its title wasn't in English, but in foreign symbols written in silver. Also on the cover was a black oval, which when Kirsty put her hand on it, was an empty space. "Hmm, how very curious…" she wondered. "This must be someone's diary or an ancient encyclopaedia."

She decided to put it in her bag for safekeeping, in case she got sucked into a portal again, and for later reading. Next to the door was a hat stand, where she placed her bag on. Before she went into the room, an image flashed across her brain, like a small motion picture. She saw herself, surrounded by small colourful creatures. All was going smoothly, until suddenly, a wave of water flooded them. In the distance, she could see a figure, who was trying to save them, but he was too late, just as her vision went back to normal. Kirsty couldn't understand what it meant, or if it at all meant anything, but entered the room with caution, not knowing what misfortune lay ahead in her new life, and her new identity.

 


	7. Chapter 6: Anything's Possible!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one."- C.S. Lewis

**Chapter Six: Anything's Possible!**

As Kirsty opened the door, she sighed, as she viewed the bathroom's furnishings, which were similar in style to the rest of the house. What did her parents have against free thinking? Sitting down on the on a chair next to the bath, another tune started up. "Try not to think. Try and behave. Try not to think," she thought aloud to herself, reflecting what Mr. and Mrs. Mayor had told her moments earlier. "I'll think of taking a bath in the drippy old tub going plink, plink, plink plink! But when I think of that plinkety plink; I see fish swimming by in a school. Hey, maybe this tub is-"

"McElligot's Pool?" a voice suggested. Kirsty let out a little shriek, as her head turned to the top window. Sitting on the ledge of the open window was the same boy that had dragged her into the council hall, except he was now in jeans, sneakers and a bright orange and white striped shirt. "I don't believe it! You're a Thinker!" he said, on his face a look of shock.

"Please don't tell anyone!" Kirsty begged him. "I am already in enough trouble as it is with my parents. I don't want to be more of a burden-"

The boy stopped her, trying to calm her down. "Hey, it's okay! I won't tell a soul. We're on the same side. I'm a Thinker too! Our kind has to stick together," he told her. He jumped off the ledge and put his hand out. "I'm Jojo, by the way. And you're Kirsty, aren't you?"

Kirsty took his hand, wondering how he knew who she was. "How do you know my name?"

"One thing you have to know about Whoville. It's very hard to keep anything secret around here; news spreads faster than wildfire, if you know what I mean."

"You seem very happy to talk to me now. Why did you do what you did back then?"

"I just like to use my words wisely, not to mention the fact that I don't feel confident talking to people I can't trust. But enough about that, how about I help you with your Thinks a little bit? You look like you need a kick start," Jojo said. Before Kirsty could ask him what he meant by his first comment, he began to sing. "This might be a pool, like I've read of in books, connected to one of those underground brooks. An underground river that starts here and flows right under this bathtub and then who knows! It's possible! Anything's possible!"

He looked to Kirsty, who was sitting on the sidelines. She seemed frightened at the idea of taking a risk like this, so he tried to encourage her. "It's possible. Anything's possible!" they sang together.

"It might go along, down where no one can see Right under state highway two hundred and three! Right under the wagons! Right under the toes of Mrs Umbroso! ... Who's hanging out clothes!" Jojo continued.

"It's possible! Anything's possible," Kirsty sang. With each wild think that came to them, the more excited and confident she became. "This might be a river now mightn't it be, connecting McElligot's Pool with the sea! Then maybe some fish might be swimming...swimming toward me!" She sang, immediately trusting herself and her Thinks.

Suddenly, all the light went out and the room turned silent. Both of them grabbed onto each other, each confused. A few seconds later, the two were surrounded by water and the room was filled with glowing objects, which turned out be groups of multi-coloured fish. Kirsty held her breathe, until she saw Jojo, who has still breathing normally. After persisting, she managed to begin to breathe normally, which she found was easier than expected. The two teenagers were amazed, and looked at each other in acclaim. As they danced around him, all Jojo could look at was Kirsty. He was gobsmacked at the potential this girl had, and how connected their Thinks seemed to be.

"Oh, the sea is so full of a number of fish," Jojo began to sing again, his face beaming. The fish did some backup. "If a fellow is patient he might get his wish!" He started to dance with the fish, letting loose.

"And that's why we think that we're not such a fool when we sit here and fish in McElligot's pool! It's possible..." Kirsty added, also letting loose a little.

"Anything's possible," they all sang together.

"It's possible..." Jojo repeated.

Anything's possible!"

"It's possible...," Kirsty sang, the music dying down. "Anything... Anything..." All of a sudden the lights came back on, and the fish scurried away. Both noticed that the bath had overflowed and they were standing in a foot of water. Each of them was soaking wet and the paint on the walls was peeling away.

_Oh no, what have I done? I promised my parents that I wouldn't Think and now look what's happened! How did I drag myself into this mess?_

As she started to panic, she looked for Jojo, who was nowhere to be seen. "How could he just abandon me? He was the one who helped me Think this whole mess up? Or was it just me?" Before she could even begin to guess herself, the bathroom door opened, where she could see her parents, almost as soaking wet as she was. From what she could see, they were far from impressed.

"Kirsty!" Mr. Mayor yelled, entering the room. "The tub's overflowed on the floor! The water is running right under the door!"

Mrs. Mayor didn't move from the doorway, too shocked for words. "The ceiling is peeling! You've flooded the den! Oh, Kirsty, I think you've been Thinking again!"

"I say this with firmness and terrible sorrow," her father added, lowing his voice slightly." Young lady… we will deal with you come tomorrow!"

Kirsty tried to explain, but it was no use, as her father quickly slammed the door shut behind him. She dropped her head, and dropped down to the floor next to the bath. All the fish from earlier poked their heads up from their various hiding places, looking very sorry.

Kirsty sighed, looking around at all the trouble she had caused. "I still think that I'm not such a fool," she sang softly, trying to hide her tears. "When I sit here and fish in McElligot's pool…"

"It's possible," all the fish sang. She noticed this and gave them a small smile in thanks.

"Anything's ...possible!" they all sang. The fish slowly disappeared, as Kirsty picked up her things and left the room, ashamed and regretful, for ruining her once in a lifetime opportunity of having a family.

* * *

Mr. Mayor was pacing the living room, his heart and head caught in an impossible web. He had just found out his daughter could be a Thinker, and that was a massive problem. If the council found out about this incident, his reputation would be ruined and they could be at risk of losing the perfect daughter they had dreamed about for so long. His wife was beginning to clean up the mess, blow drying all the book, blankets and objects that were still intact. On her face was an expression of pure devastation. This was every parent's worst nightmare. They thought they would be safe, considering their history and the fact that Kirsty was a girl, as females were less of a risk of carrying the Thinker gene, but that could possibly not be enough.

"Dear, what are we going to do about her?" Mrs. Mayor asked. "Something's not right. They told us that she would be the perfect child we'd been longing for, but she'd anything but. What if we made a mistake?"

Mr. Mayor moved over to his wife, putting her hands in his, not knowing what else to say. At that moment, another tune began to play and his wife began to sing.

"She's a perfect little girl, but she's acting very strange," she sighed.

"Is it all a part of growing up or did something make her change?" her husband asked himself. "We could just lay down the law."

"We could simply let her grow?" His wife suggested, but she knew it wasn't going to be that simple.

The two moved to opposite sides of the room. "Oh, where are the instructions on how to raise a child?" they both lamented. "Who has the instructions on how to raise a child? Who has all the answers? I don't know." They slumped into their chairs, not knowing what to do.

At that very moment, the doorbell rang, which made the two suddenly alert. As the couple walked up to the door, they opened it to find a young man, who looked to be about eighteen or nineteen standing in front of them. He was quite tall and was dressed quite roughly. He was also holding a black briefcase in his hand, and he looked to be rather tired and worn out. He tipped his hat to the couple and flashed Mrs. Mayor an enchanting smile, which made her blush slightly.

Mr. Mayor straightened himself up, as he noticed the man's attempt to charm his wife. "What is it I can do for you?" he asked the man, trying not to sound too gruff, or show his jealously.

The man bowed to the politician, wanting to get on the Mayor's good side. "Good evening, Mr. Mayor. My name is Christopher Isaac Traumanis Hamilton , but you can call me Cith. I applied for your application of a butler, chauffeur, assistant and tutor for both your family and your new daughter," he told them. "I was meant to start tomorrow, but I have one small dilemma. You see, my apartment was recently affected in a fire, unknown to me. So, when I arrived in town this afternoon, I have had no time to find any replacement accommodation for the night, while they repair it. So, I was wondering if you knew of any place where I might be able to reside for the night."

"Oh, there is no need to look for a place to stay. You can stay here with us. Come in, and we can begin to sort things out," Mr. Mayor told him, leading him into the kitchen. As Cith sat down on a chair at the dining table, Mrs. Mayor passed him a hot drink, which he took with gratitude.

"You poor thing. You look like you've been through a lot today," she told him, sitting down on the seat next to him, with her own cup of tea in her hands.

He took a sip, the tea warming him up to a large degree. "The same to you. Has your first day of parenthood been a rollercoaster ride, already?"

Mr. Mayor joined them, sitting next to his wife. "You could say that. We don't know what's wrong with her, or how to solve our problems."

"Ahh…Well, I might just have the answer…" Cith told them, taking off his hat and pulling a brochure out from it. He gave it to the couple, who looked at it with wide eyes. They both looked at the title, which was simply 'How to Raise a Child'. "I will leave you to it." Those were his last words, as he quietly went up the stairs, giving the couple some space.

Curiosity taking over them, they both began to read it aloud. "Does your child give you troubles? Do their grades keep on shrinking?" Mrs. Mayor read.

"Do they drive teachers wild with their uncontrolled thinking?" Mr. Mayor continued.

"As a parent, are you overwhelmed? Insecure? The help that you seek is inside this brochure!" they both said, getting more interested at what the brochure had to say with every word. This could be the solution to getting their daughter back.

Now all they had to do was convince Kirsty.

* * *

As the night fell, Kirsty had begun to feel even more worried. What would her parents do to her, after the bathroom incident? Also, would she ever get back to Nool and Horton? Or even get out of this fantasy and into the real world? In the past few hours, she had even been questioning if she was in a dream or not, having experience so much pain and not waking up.

Becoming restless, she got out of her chair, put her silk dressing gown over her nightdress and went over to her new bedroom's balcony. The air was cold on her skin, but she didn't mind. It helped calm herself down, her problems making her incredibly stressed. She had never imagined what normal life would be like, with a home and a family, but if she had, she wouldn't have imagined it would be like this.

"What's this?" she asked herself, as she felt a lump in the pocket of her dressing gown. Reaching into it, she found a small silver metal box, which was covered in red and white symbols. Opening it, a tune started to play, like a music box. She found a folded up piece of paper, which she found to be a poster. It looked to be for a military academy, and had in bold letters 'The answer to all your problems!. "How peculiar to find this in a music box? I'm sure it wasn't in my pocket earlier. But what does this have to do-"

A thought came to her mind. Would her parents consider sending her to a military academy? Whatever it meant, she knew she had a reason to be worried.

And what about Jojo, the boy who was a Thinker just like her? Would they send him to that academy? Part of her never wanted to see him again, after he left her to the mess of their thinking, but as he had told her, they both had something in common. They were both rule breakers, troublesome kids…people who both didn't have a place in their world. She had to find out more about him, as so much didn't add up.

"Oh, where are the instructions on how to be the perfect child? Who has the instructions on how to be the perfect child?" Kirsty sang, her eyes starting to close. "Who has all the answers? I don't know…" As she felt herself sliding down, she heard the door open and saw an unknown man walking towards her.

Cith closed her eyes shut, as he lifted her up and placed her on the bed, placing the covers over her. He didn't say anything as he left the room, but as he was about to close the door behind him, he heard a voice.

"Thank you…" Kirsty whispered, before she shut her eyes completely.

He didn't reply, only giving her a small smile, as he turned the light off and shut the door, leaving her to sleep in peace.


	8. Chapter 7: An Unordinary Accademy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “There are some things that once you've lost, you never get back. Innocence is one. Love is another. I guess childhood is a third.” -John Marsden

**Chapter 7: An Unordinary Academy**

The sun shone through the window, signalling the start of a brand new day. Kirsty stretched and rubbed her eyes, still half asleep, all her Thinking yesterday draining her energy.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Did you have a good sleep last night?"

Kirsty nodded, seeing Mrs Mayor at her bedroom door. "That's good to know, because you'll need it today. Your teachers have decided to remove your suspension, and have told us you can return to school today! Isn't that wonderful?"

"School?" she repeated slowly, the foreign word rolling uncomfortably off her tongue. She had read books and had learnt a bit about what mainstream schools were like, but had never been or seen a real one before. Would she fit in? Would she even make any friends? The last question she highly doubted herself, knowing she wasn't that good at socialising with people at all, let alone kids her age.

Mrs Mayor smiled, as she handed her daughter a package. Opening it, Kirsty found inside a female uniform in a royal shade of blue. "This is yours. We bought it yesterday after the meeting. Hopefully it fits you; it was rather hard to find something exactly to your size at such short notice. Here, come downstairs and have some breakfast, then I do your hair for you and help you with your uniform!"

Her mother took her hand, and led her downstairs to the dining room, to find her father sitting at the table, having breakfast, next to a young man she'd never seen before. He looked to be a few years older than her, but his eyes looked much older and wiser.

"Morning, my two beautiful girls!" Mr. Mayor's words broke Kirsty's stare, to where she realised she had been staring long at the unknown man, so she quickly moved her gaze to her father, before sitting down at a seat. "Kirsty, I would like you to meet Mr Hamilton, your new tutor and assistant."

"Thank you for the introduction, Mr. Mayor," he said, looking Kirsty straight in the eye. "And you must be the Mayor's lost daughter, I assume?" She nodded slightly, those eyes of his making her feel slightly dizzy. "A little shy, isn't she? To make you feel more comfortable, you can call me Cith if you want. After all, that's what most people call me, instead of using my full name, Christopher Isaac Traumanis Hamilton. Can cause a lot of dramas, especially at functions…" He laughed at his inside joke, slightly under his breath, trying to keep his professional act. "As your father mentioned, my job is to help and assist you as my role as your family's personal butler."

"He is also here to help you with your studies," Mrs Mayor added. "Being an exceptional young role model, he will be most helpful, since all the information is fresh in his mind and it was only a few years ago when he was in your position, and he'll greatly help you reach your full potential. Am I right, Mr Hamilton?"

Cith bowed his head in respect. "Thank you for your praises, Mrs Mayor. I hope that I will live up to your high expectations of me. As for your daughter, I'm sure she has a strong future ahead of her." His last words caught Kirsty's attention, which seemed to slightly quiver, as if they weren't as sincere as they were made out to be.

Before Kirsty could speak, her father put his hands on her shoulders. "Well, I hope you a marvellous day at school. I wish I could take you, but I have an appointment with the council in less than an hour." He kissed his wife on the cheek. "I'll see you soon, my darling. Mr Hamilton? My belongings, if you please."

"Yes, Mr. Mayor." Immediately, Cith rose from his seat, picked up the Mayor's briefcase and his own bag and hat, and followed him out the door.

"You'd think that yesterday never happened," Mrs Mayor sighed, getting up from her seat, talking to herself. After pondering for a few moments, she lead her daughter, who was now standing, upstairs. "Now, we'd better get you ready. First impressions are very important." She stopped half way up the stairs, taking in the moment. "Trust me when I say this Kirsty, both you and I will never forget this moment. This is the day everything will change, for the better!"

* * *

"If I may have your attention, class. I have some exciting news to tell you."

The classroom slowly became quiet, each of the twenty student's eyes fixed on their homeroom teacher. She pushed up her thin red rimmed glasses, and continued to address the students. "Now, we are fortunate to have a new student joining our school today. Many of you will have her in some of your classes, so I would like you to make her feel very welcome and if some of you would be so kind as to show her around, I would be very grateful. She is due to arrive any minute now-"

The doors slowly opened, a much older man coming into the room. "Ms Anderson, I have your new student here." Behind him stood a timid Who girl, Kirsty, who was dressed simular to most of the girls in the room, consisting of a royal blue knee length pleated skirt, short sleaved collared shirt, white stockings and a short blue blazer.

"Principal Harrington!" Ms Anderson looked flustered. "You're meant to be in your office! She didn't disturb you, did she?"

He shook his head, a smile creeping onto his face. "Not at all. I was getting some air when I found her wandering around. Whoever was scheduled to welcome her in must have forgotten that our new student was the daughter of our Mayor, as they were nowhere in sight. So I took it upon myself to lead her to her first class." The principal looked to the Kirsty, his gentle yet overenthusiastic smile making her feel more uncomfortable, along with the multiple gasps from around the room. "Remember," he whispered to her. "If you ever have any troubles or don't know where to go, I want you to come and find me. Understand?" She nodded slightly, as the principal smiled again and left.

"Class 9A, I would like to introduce you to Kirsty, the new student in our class." Kirsty didn't say anything, trying to hide her nerves. Some of the class, a few girls in the second row, giggled, causing Ms Anderson to give a look of warning to them, before turning to her new student. "Now, if you could just quickly find a seat, then we can go on with the rest of briefing before the whole school assembly." Walking silently through the class, Kirsty reached the row second from the back, and sat down on an empty seat, trying not to make eye contact with anyone else in the room.

"Is it true you fell through the roof of the council hall?" a high pitched voice made Kirsty look from the board to a seat diagonally in front of her, where a girl with curly reddish brown hair tied up like a fountain was staring right at her.

A girl with honey coloured hair turned around, her eyes burning into Kirsty's. "So, you're the Mayor's daughter. They must have big hopes for you. A shame your image doesn't match the background."

"Davina Whovier and Portia Quilligan, you would be much better to stop gossiping and listen to what we are discussing, or would you like to stay in after school and listen then?" Ms Anderson raised an eyebrow, her voice raising. They quickly turned back around, not looking at Kirsty until the bell rang, signalling for everyone to proceed to the auditorium for a whole campus assembly. From what her timetable she had been given from the principal read, campus assemblies were only held on Mondays and Fridays, and today was Wednesday, so Kirsty was quite curious as to what was so important that they couldn't wait two days to explain.

After stopping to fix her hair, trying not to look at it and create the urge to restyle it to one that wasn't so extreme, she turned to where all the other students were going to when she walked straight into someone, his bag and books flying everywhere.

By instinct and of complete embarrassment, Kirsty swept up the books that had landed by her feet and passed them to him. Seeing her face, the boy nearly dropped the books in shock. Kirsty however, didn't seem to realise who had just passed her, having a possible memory lapse, and was a little confused when he so quickly rushed off.  _And to almost think that could had survived entire day without creating an accident. Oh well, I can always try tomorrow…_

With that, she continued on, heading towards the west wing building to the assembly hall, where student younger and older than her were beginning to find a seat in their respective areas. Looking around, she found Cith, who was standing next to the principal and an older man in a military uniform, his huge hat, countless medals and intimidating presence indicating his high position. Even before she could even wonder why her tutor was at her school, her question was answered, with the Mayor and his wife coming into view, along with the head chairman, his sharp almost black eyes still in her mind from the day before.

Before she could sit down, one of the junior year teachers grabbed her hand. "Miss? Please, follow me to your seat. Your parents are expecting you."

"Uh, okay…" She wasn't sure what else to say, so she just followed the woman as she took her to where the Mayor and his wife were sitting. "What's going on? Why are you both here?"

"Just take a seat." The chairmen ordered, harshly forcing her to her seat. It didn't take long for the assembly to start, as when the older man she had seen only minutes ago stood, a military beat started playing.

"I'm General Genghis Kahn Schmitz," he announced. "I scare children out of their wits. But you'll see at a glance, sir, my school is the answer for shirkers and dreamers and twits." He had been pacing the left side of the room, occasionally glancing at students. He then stopped in one of the middle rows, turning his gaze to a boy sitting on an aisle seat, who was sweating with fear. "And in this case, I'd say the shoe fits!" The General picked the boy up from his seat, shouting out orders. "Ten hut! Feet together. Chin up. Eyes on the prize, forward ... Harch!"

The boy raised an eyebrow, not having a single clue what he had to do. Seeing this, the General pushed him, the teen beginning to march in a gawky fashion. "The military academy is the place where he should be sent. We'll drill the silliness from his head, I'm sure we'll make a dent! We'll teach him fighting and left and righting until he's muscled and tan!" He stopped to observe the boy. "A-hut-two-three! He's pathetic! A-hut-two-three! Unathletic! A-hut-two-three! But I'm betting we can! The military! That's what makes a boy... a man!"

At that moment, a group of over twenty older boys entered the room from the side doors, wearing a green and gold military uniform and each had a sword in hand, giving off the impression they must have been cadets. "Schmitz, Schmitz, Schmitz, Schmitz, Schmitz, Schmitz, Schmitz, Schmitz," they all chanted, marching in perfect unison, making the poor boy next to the General look completely useless.

For this whole time, Kirsty had been watching the boy, wide eyed. She quickly flashed her eyes across the room, again and again, not believing what she was seeing. Even though this was all new to her, she was interested as to why everyone was just sitting there silently, not reacting at all. Was this something normal, or did they see the same thing as she was seeing?

"The military's extraordinary good for somebody meek," the General continued, all the cadets marching into their position. "He'll bunk with bullies who beat him up-"

"At least three times a week!" The cadets added.

"He'll sweat and shiver and eat raw liver. It's all a part of the plan!" Schmitz explained, coming back up the front.

"A-Hut-Two-Three!"

"When they suffer,"

"A-Hut-Two-Three!"

"Boys get tougher!"

"A-Hut-Two-Three!"

"And its time he began!" Schmitz sang. "The military! That's what makes a boy…"

"That's what makes a boy…" The cadets echoed back. "A man!" On the general's signal, a handful of cadets pushed the boy across the side of the room, while the rest formed a line behind Schmitz, chanting as they went into position.

The General looked towards all the adults at the front of the room, who were viewing the cadets with awe. "Look at these boys," he pointed his sword at an older cadet. "Why, you'd never know that just a few short months ago, this one hummed in the shower!" he then pointed his sword another cadet. "This one couldn't colour within the lines." He moved to the end of the row, to a rather short cadet. "And this one actually had an Opinion!"

As the line dispersed into small group, Schmitz went over to where the Mayor, his wife and Kirsty were seated. "Our boys believe in the right of every Who to eat their bread, Butter side up!" He saluted to Mr. Mayor, as did all the cadets.

"Butter side up!" they agreed.

"One thing we trust on this fragile speck of dust is eating bread, Butter side up!" He moved across to where Kirsty was seated, not looking at her.

Kirsty raised an eyebrow, trying to take in all he had said. Did she even hear him right? She had seen plenty of crazy things in her short time she had been in this world, but this was just ridiculous. "Butter side up?" Kirsty repeated, getting up from her seat.

Schmitz did a 180 turn around, glaring right into Kirsty, who was backing away in fright. "And as for those who like their butter down…" He moved closer to her, causing her to continue to walk backward, before she bumped into some cadets.

"Down! Down! Down!" they sang, menacingly pointing their swords down at her.

"We'll go to war and run them out of town!" Schmitz declared. Before she could get trampled, they all moved away from her, and Mrs Mayor picked her up and brought her back to her seat. The boy from before then came back into view, now dressed in a similar gold and green uniform to the cadets, and began to copy them as they performed exercises, which were all from simple military drills. He tried his best to follow them, but kept getting lost and confused.

Kirsty tried to block out the music, her mind focus on the boy.  _I know him. I know I do. We've met before, I just don't know how or why…_

"A-hut-two-three!"

"We enlist 'em," Schmitz shouted.

"A-Hut-Two-Three!"

"In our system. And boys soon see nothing's easier than... The military! That's what makes a boy..."

The cadets joined him at the front of the room, marching to their spots. "That's what makes a boy... That's what makes a boy ... That's what makes a boy... A man!" Schmitz went to the head of the line, as they all began to walk out of the room, single file.

"I do not like green eggs and ham!" Schmitz ordered, as her watched the cadets.

"Do not like green eggs and ham!" the cadets echoed.

"I do not like them, Sam I am!"

"Do not like them, Sam I am!"

"Sound off!"

"Eggs and ham!"

"Sound off!"

"Sam I am!"

"I do not like green eggs... And ham!" They finished, as the General gave the boy his sword and hat. As the boy passed Kirsty, their eyes met, and a shock of realisation struck her full on.

That boy was Jojo.

Jojo seemed to notice that she finally knew who he was, and discreetly passed her a small bulging envelope, before following the other cadets. Kirsty stood, her eyes going straight to her parents, who were signing what looked to be a regal form the General was holding.

They had sent him to the academy. Because of what she had done.

"Schmitz, Schmitz, Schmitz, Schmitz..." the cadets chanted as they left the room. Schmitz just tipped his hat and closed the door behind the cadets. The room was only quiet for a few moments, before the principal went on with the assembly like none of that had happened. For the entire half hour, Kirsty didn't speak a word, still recovering from the beginning presentation. They had done this for a reason, and that hidden message was now loud and clear to her.

Follow our rules, become one of us and never try to defy us. You can try and hide, but we'll find you and we'll get rid of you. For good.


	9. Chapter 8: Not So Alone in the Universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible.”- C.G. Jung

**Chapter 8: Not So Alone in the Universe**

"Thank goodness. Today's finally over…"

Horton finally collapsed underneath a tree, desperate for some sleep. All day he had to deal with the constant mocking that he had been experiencing for the past week, with an utter humiliation from the Wickersham's to top his day off. And he still hadn't heard about Kirsty, and was starting to believe that maybe he had Thinked her up, as well as the Whos.

Even though he wanted to search more for Kirsty, Horton had bigger problems. Protecting the Whos was much harder than he thought it was going to be. Since their world was so small, a small bump to him could equivalent to a high strength earthquake to them, so it was vital that the clover was placed in just the right position, with not too much wind, not too much sun and no sudden movements.

But being in Nool, where every place you would most likely get feathers up in your face or a tail between your legs, that was an intermittent luxury.

He looked at the small pink clover that held that tiny speck of dust, swaying lightly with the warm breeze that spread across the jungle. He hadn't heard from any of them since he discovered them a week ago, not a whisper or a sound heard. His eyes looked out to the stars, so many unanswered question swirling around his head, including a wish he hadn't expected to be brought up. One part of him that he put on the side for such a long time. To have someone in the world, a Thinker, who could travel through his Thinks with him, and be the friend he had only ever imagined of.

"I've been guarding this clover for over a week, getting laughed at for thinking a dust speck can speak," Horton said to himself, sadly. "Well, let them all laugh I'll try not to mind, for I have found something that they'll never find!"

The music began to soften, as he began to sing. "There are secrets on a leaf, in the water, in the air. Hidden planets, tiny worlds, all invisible! Not a person seems to know. Not a person seems to care. There is no one who believes a thing I say...Well, I'm fairly certain at one time or other, great thinkers all feel this way…" As if by magic, leaves started to gently float around him, a small flourish of his Thinks showing.

"I'm alone in the universe, so alone in the universe. I've found magic but they don't see it. They all call me a lunatic. Ok, call me a lunatic. If I stand on my own, so be it." He smiled as he turned his gaze to the clover. "'Cause I have wings, yes, I can fly. Around the moon and far beyond the sky and one day soon I know there you'll be. One small voice in the universe, one true friend in the universe, who believes in me..."

Meanwhile, on that small speck of dust, Jojo was glancing out the window of his room in the academy, with the same wish as that large elephant; to have someone who could accept him for who he was. He was the only cadet in the quarter, only having just been enrolled into the academy a week ago and not yet conformed to General Schmitz's plan. He was so out of place in this school, not coping at all with the harsh atmosphere that came with it. Cold and worn out, he suddenly had the urge to sing. "I'm alone in the universe, so alone in the universe, my own planets and stars are glowing."

"Alone in the universe," Horton sang, so caught up in it all, he didn't realise that his solo had now turned into a duet.

"No one notices anything. Not one person is listening," Jojo continued, also not hearing Horton. "They don't have any way of knowing." His voice stayed soft, not wanting to be caught still awake by any of the Majors.

"Nobody knows that," Horton sang, looking out at the stars. "I have wings,"

"I have wings."

"Yes, I can fly."

"I can fly."

"Around the moon…"

"And far beyond the sky," they sang together, their voices turning to almost a pleading tone. "Well someday soon you will hear my plea." In both worlds, a shooting star flashed across their skies, giving a flicker of hope to both Thinkers.

"One small voice in the universe," Horton wished

"One true friend in the universe," Jojo pleaded.

"Please believe in me ..."

* * *

Unable to sleep, her Thinks making her restless, Kirsty sighed, as she sat outside her balcony in the warm night air. Whoville was only a small collection of lights, sound asleep. But up above, the whole sky was awake, filled with countless stars, burning millions and millions of kilometres away, with not a care in the world.

_Why does life have to be so complicated?_

Kirsty had loved waking up in the middle of moonlit nights when she was younger, believing that since the sky was awake, she also felt she had to be. Even though things had changed, and she had changed also, her interest of the night stayed with her. Those memories made her feel uncomfortable. It had been many long years since she was like that, always happy and positive…a child, and years since she had been forced to make the choice to abandon that version of herself, to be replaced by the Kirsty she knew today. She had to grow up and to do that, you had to accept reality and the truth for what it was.

Having an imagination and dreams only lead to hurting the ones you loved.

But upon landing in this strange and unfamiliar universe, which challenged her grip on the possible to its limit, she had seen some of that forgotten side try and come out, even slightly escaping her 'cage' on some occasions. Especially when she was with Jojo. For those two and a half precious minutes, it was as it had unleased a completely new persona. She picked up a small bracelet, one that had come from Jojo in the envelope passed to her before he was sent off to the academy, foreign inscriptions covering the stones braided through the fabric. She had tried to forget about him, but something about him refused her to give in. He was important, in some way, and she needed to find out why.

"Are you real, or are you a very large think?"

Her muscled tensed up, upon hearing the unknown voice. Suddenly, her mind clicked. That sounded like Jojo! But that couldn't be possible, she knew that right.  _Jojo's gone, there's no way this can be real. My Thinks must be playing mind games with me._ It wasn't until there was a reply, to when she started to question her theory.

"Oh, I'm real, all right! I would state that in ink."

"Horton!" she exclaimed softly, her wide eyes looking above where Horton would be, still in the Jungle of Nool. His voice was clear as day, the evenness in his voice something only Horton would be able to perform so naturally. "Horton! It's-"

"In my thinks, I imagine a lot of strange things," Jojo's voice filled the sky again, interrupting her cry. "And I go to strange places, as if I had wings! I love a good think!"

_Jojo must have found Horton! But why can't they hear me?_ Instead of trying to get their attention, she stayed silent, listening to both their voices with hope.

"Well, for me that goes double," Horton said, to where Kirsty smiled wide with interest. She didn't know he was a Thinker too!

"Sometime my thinks are what get me in trouble."

"When you think, do you dream?"

"In bright colours!" The joy in Jojo's voice flooded out like colours in a painting, Kirsty noticing that the sky had even begun to flutter in excitement.

"Me too! And I go to strange places like Solla Sollew!" Horton exclaimed, his voice happier than Kirsty had ever heard before.

"When you think, do you think you could fly to the stars?"

"Little friend, no one else could have thinks such as ours!" They both seemed overjoyed with happiness, as strong music filled the air.

"Yes, I have wings," Horton sang, the sky turning into a light show of colour.

"I have wings," Jojo echoed.

"And I can fly."

"I can fly..."

"Around the moon."

"And far beyond the sky..." Kirsty joined in, as they sang together, their voice fitting together so well. She felt so happy, witnessing both her friends finally discovering each other.

"You called my name and you set me free. One small voice in the universe," Horton sang, with Kirsty singing lightly in the background, even though she knew he couldn't hear her.

"One true friend in the universe," Jojo, and Kirsty separately, continued.

"Who believes in me," they all finished, as Jojo and Horton's voice faded out, the sky turning back to normal.

At that, Kirsty went back inside, shut the doors and sat down on her bed, her mind now at ease for the time being. She picked up her bag; feeling now would be a good time to have a better look at that book. She stroked the spine- she had always done this, believing that in order for the book to be a good read, one must be a good reader and respect the book at hand- , before placing the book lightly on her lap. Her fingers slowly traced around the black hole in the cover, its catching her eye most of all.

"What a peculiar book…" she commented out loud, as she turned the book over.

"I would prefer extraordinary if you wouldn't mind."

Kirsty gasped at hearing the gravelly voice, the book falling from her hands. As it landed on the floor, she heard it again. "Ouch! Careful! That hurt, you know!"

Warily, she picked up the book, to where the face of a dark haired man, who seemed to be in his thirties, looking straight at her from inside the circle. She didn't know how or if to react, she had become used to the crazy and impossible happening at unintentional times since landing in this world.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce yourself to me? Or are you just going to stand there and gawp?" his eyes fixed straight on the girl, his American accent having a joking tone.

Kirsty did as she was told, mustering up some courage to talk to them. "Kirsty, just Kirsty."

The face laughed. "Well, just Kirsty, I'm very happy to have met you. I should thank you for getting me off that dusty shelf. No one has done the least as even look at me for years, let alone taking the time to read me. So, thank you."

"I should be thanking you for the pleasure. I've never talked to a book before…it didn't think it was possible?" she told him, placing the book upright against the pillow.

The face smiled. "Well, we are in the world of Seussia. Anything is possible, as you and that other Thinker remarked a few days ago. Isn't that right?"

Kirsty raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Seussia? That's where we are? And you saw Jojo and me?"

"Oh, pardon me. Olden time phrasing. This realm's title is nowadays Seuss. It used to be known as Seussia in its prime," his voice hushed down, a moment of reflection taking the face over. "Anyways, to answer your other question, I rather heard you and Jojo. That musical number was quite spectacular. You have potential, young lady. Much potential."

"What do you mean by that?" Kirsty voice was strong, yet subtle, desperate to riddle out all the questions she had been passed on.

"To make things easier, let me first explain myself," the face grew serious, the room going uncomfortably quiet. "I am Ted, and I am the 'Inventor' of this encyclopaedia, which details all the worlds, characters and magic which makes up the realm of Seuss. Only a select few have been entrusted with me, and you are one of those few. I pass on a vast amount of knowledge and understanding, but not everything is as it is written."

A hand grasped around her necklace, Kirsty took a few moments to process everything. This book seemed to know a lot about this universe, the only one that might be able to get her out of this fantasy. "I can't help feel like myself landing here wasn't out of coincidence. Do you know how I came to come here? How I can get home?"

Ted nodded. "All in good time. You will change and so will this world. I will tell you not what you want to know, but what you need to know, only when the time is right. And when that time comes, you will understand," he simply said, the tone of a wise old man flooding into his still young voice. "But enough about that for the time being. You seemed caught, am I right in saying?"

"You could say that," Kirsty mumbled, putting her head in her hands. "On one side, my friend Horton is in the Jungle of Nool. He needs me, but I'm stuck here in Who. And then there's Jojo. It's because of me he's been enrolled in General Schmitz's military academy, and I can't help him either, because I have no idea how to get to him."

"Who says you can't help them? You're only limit to what you can and can't do is your soul, or in this case, your Thinks." Ted explained, giving her a reassuring smile.

"You mean I can go back to Nool? Or even to see Jojo?"

"If that is what you choose. You can do anything if you use your Thinks in the right way."

"But…how? Isn't it impossible?"

"Everything is impossible here, Kirsty. You just have to believe in them, and more importantly, your true self."

"I-I can't…I-I-"

"You don't have to fear your imagination. Embrace it. Picture yourself where you want to go, as detailed as you can, and just let your Thinks do the rest. But, choose carefully, your Thinks can only last so long, the same as your body."

Kirsty closed her eyes, gripped the necklace tight, before quickly making her mind up of where she wanted to go. "Thank you Ted." she whispered, before promptly disappearing.

Colour swirled around her, rapidly forming around her the Jungle of Nool. Opening her eyes, she saw Horton, who was sound asleep in his hut, the clover right by his side. She had chosen Nool since it would be easier to please both her friends by being in that world, not to mention the possible situation she could land herself in if she had chosen to see Jojo at the academy and not been able to Think herself to Nool before anyone caught her. The best she could do would talk to him via the clover.

But that would have to wait until morning, knowing that both she and Jojo would need enough strength to talk to each other, and the right moment to do it in. Tonight had been a great development, and with the hope that she had gathered, she hoped that for all, this turn would be for the better. Not to mention the fact she now had two completely different lives to control.

"Now I just need to make sure I stay out of trouble. That shouldn't be too hard…should it?"


	10. Chapter 9: The Tale of Miss Gertrude Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you."- A. A. Milne

**Chapter 9: The Tale of Miss Gertrude Part 1**

Gertrude McFuzz sat outside, at about six in the morning, watching the jungle slowly coming to life. She had all seen it all before, but she felt like something was different.

She looked to Melissa, Tayla and Sammy's, or the Bird Girls, as they were commonly known, tree. The first she saw was Melissa, who had electric blue feathers. Being the oldest and the most beautiful of the sisters, she was the leader of the trio. She was looking over herself in the mirror, which was quite usual. The next she saw was Tayla, who had jade green feathers. She was the middle sister and was the best dancer of the group, who was, as usual, making up a new routine for their next performance. Lastly, she saw the youngest sister, Sammy, who had lemon yellow feathers. She was styling her feathers near her oldest sister, who looked like to be giving her tips. Sammy was the only one of the sisters who even seemed to notice her, the two young birds once friends.

_Well, there's nothing unusual there, not from what I can see._

Next, she looked to the Wickersham's areas, which was surrounded by banana trees. The brothers were all still sound asleep in their hammocks, snoring very loudly. This wasn't very surprising, as they had most likely been up all night doing work for the Sour Kangaroo. When they weren't with Sour, which wasn't much after the speck incident a few months ago, they were either pranking each other or dancing in a corner of the jungle. They weren't bad, they just being typical teenagers. There was Chase, who was the oldest and best dancer of the three, Kyle, second oldest and best prankster, and then there was Jay, who was the youngest of the monkey brothers. He was the outspoken, shy member of their trio, often being pushed around and teased by his older brothers and the Sour Kangaroo. Since the Wickersham's were in Sour's team, they can get all the food they want, have a whole area all to their own and have higher power in the jungle. However, that came at a price. They were forbidden to flirt or interact with The Bird Girls or any other attractive female in the jungle. No one knows exactly why, and no one is allowed to talk about it. Even if they were allowed, they wouldn't anyway, as they were in fear of being heard by Sour.

_Definitely not new…why do they always have to snore so loudly?_

After that, Gertrude looked toward to the tree where her neighbour Mayzie lived. She was, not surprisingly, on the phone. She was probably talking to her new boyfriend, as those were the only people she ever talked to on the phone. Mayzie was literally a guy magnet, her words combined with her mass of feathers making anyone do anything for her. She has had as many boyfriends as she has feathers, breaking and capturing men's heart every single week. Gertrude, like many other females in the jungle, silently envied her. She couldn't get a guy to like her, not even the one who noticed her the most.

_Mayzie, how do you do it? Why can't I have as easy run with love as you've had?_

Lastly, but certainly not least, she turned to where her other neighbour, Horton, lived. He was awake, looking outside his hut at the beautiful sunrise. Gertrude sighed, her mind melting at the sight of him. To Gertrude, he was simply perfect. He was so thoughtful, caring, positive, funny, kind; there weren't enough words to describe him! They were quite good friends, one of the only creatures who ever liked her. But Gertrude's feeling had always been more than friendship, ever since she had first laid eyes on him. When she had first arrived in the Jungle of Nool, after trying to find shelter during a storm, Horton had helped her and given her a place to stay the night. From that day on, they had always seemed to run into each other and soon after, she had fallen immensely in love with him.

She hoped that one day, she could tell him how she really felt about him, but her attempts had gone unnoticed. Gertrude had come to the conclusion that her tail might have been the reason, that and her lacking appearance. Her tail had been like this ever since she could remember a lot smaller than the average bird tail. Her mother had told her, when she was younger, that her tail was unique and special, and it didn't matter that it was smaller. Being the polite bird she was, she always listened to her mother's advice, but in her heart, she always dreamed for a bigger tail, like Mayzie's, that might help her fit in better.

_Oh Horton, when will you see me the way I see you? Can't you see that we are perfect for each oth-?_

While gazing at Horton, Gertrude spotted someone. Quickly, she grabbed her binoculars, focusing on the person next to Horton. It was that creature who stood up for him! She gasped, out of shock or part jealousy, you couldn't tell. She watched as the two talked to each other casually, before they slightly embraced. Being the inquisitive girl Gertrude was, for the last few weeks she had been reading the papers, and had found out some quite interesting rumours about the creature.

According to many, no one knew what on earth she was- they did know that she was female, that was clear to anyone- and some even thought that she could be some sort of new cross species. But one piece of gossip that did catch the young bird's attention was that the two were together! That news made her fume with annoyance, someone trying to take Horton away from her. But she knew that she couldn't know for sure until she talked with the girl, and more importantly Horton. This was beginning to turn into one of her most serious investigation yet.

When she looked back at him, the girl was now gone. "Good," she said out loud to herself. "Now I can practice my song in piece." Since she was too shy to talk to him about how much she cared about him, she thought that she could write songs to tell him instead. Every time she tried to sing them to him, they just didn't seem right and she would get even more nervous.

She quickly changed out of her nightgown, grabbed her songbook and ukulele, and flew out the door, nearly crashing into a tree branch and knocking herself out. When she looked at Horton, she could get so distracted. Fixing up her glasses, she sat herself down on a rock next to the River Walloo, and started brainstorming, strumming as she did.

"Now… I know how it's going to finish and where to start, but I have no idea how to tie it all together!" Gertrude flipped through the pages and pages of failed songs and unsuccessful drafts, becoming frazzled. "How about I make it slower, to emphasise the last lines? Or maybe it would sound better faster with a swing, to make it sound more exciting?" She groaned too many choices that had to be debated. "When can I get a burst of ideas? When will it ever be perfect for him?"

Just as she was about to scream from frustration, Gertrude felt the presence of someone behind me. She took a deep breath in, in case that someone might have been Horton. Unfortunately, it wasn't Horton, but that girl who she had seen with him earlier. "Oh, I'm sorry. Are you Gertrude McFuzz?"

Now having a better view of the girl, Gertrude covertly looked her over. This girl was tall for her age, half a foot taller than Gertrude. Her blonde hair was tied up in two braids, suiting her casual outfit. Her overall look was pretty plain, nothing incredible special. "Uh, yes. I am," she said, breaking out of her observation. "What did you want?"

The girl fidgeted, obviously nervous. This surprised Gertrude, expecting the girl to have over-whelming amounts of confidence, which was far from what she saw. "Horton just asked me to tell you thank you, for helping him on that day he found the Whos. Also, I wanted to say thank you as well, for believing in him."

"I just did what any good person would have done," Gertrude told her, blushing slightly after hearing Horton's comments. "I'm sorry, but I don't know your name."

"Kirsty, just Kirsty."

Gertrude smiled, knowing this was her chance to know more about this girl. "So, you're living with Horton, are you?" When she nodded, her curiosity grew. "Is it true that you two are together?"

Kirsty seemed puzzled at first. "What do you mean by together?" When Gertrude whispered a simple meaning of what she meant in her ear- having a feeling that she was a little naïve in that sense- Kirsty raised an eyebrow. "Of course not! What would give anyone that idea?"

"So, you two aren't a thing?" Gertrude exclaimed, relieved and interested by this development.

The teenager shook her head. "We're just friends. Nothing more."

Gertrude breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Horton is a great person. I'm happy that he's found another friend." Gertrude looked away, sadness filling her. "I've known him for a long time, and we've been good friends for a while, but I don't think he cares about me anymore. He's too busy with the Whos to notice me."

Sitting down next to the bird, Kirsty looked into the water, having a moment of reflection. "Horton has done so much for Whoville, even though he wished he could do more. Sometime I just want to tell him to go and enjoy himself, to stop worrying about things he can't control…" She sighed. "Being an outsider, I don't know what he's been through, and I wish I could help him more as well."

"What do you mean an outsider? You're not from Nool?"

"I'm actually from another universe entirely. How I got here is still a mystery, not to mention how I managed to have a life on that speck of dust, which is called Whoville. It has its own society, even a Mayor, who thinks that I'm his daughter. They have so many problems for such a small planet, with a war going on and issues with their environment. My best friend over there, Jojo, he got sent to a military academy for having a creative imagination, which was my entire fault."

"That sound terrible, but I'm sure it wasn't your fault."

"Well, all I can do is hope that he's all right for the time being. Maybe he'll come back, the same as I remember him." Her eyes went back to Gertrude, trying to hide her anguish. "Anyway, I liked your guitar playing earlier. Do you write songs?"

"More like try…" Gertrude whispered. "You see, I actually like Horton more than a friend. I love him, and I've been trying for years to get his attention of that fact. But nothing so far has worked…" Suddenly, an idea came to the bird's mind. "Hey, Kirsty, would you be able to maybe help me with my song? I just thought you would be a good person to help me, since…you know Horton…and all that…"

She nodded in reply, as Gertrude smiled in appreciation. After reviewing her words and notes, she picked up her guitar. "Love Song for Horton: Number Four Hundred and Thirty-Seven," she announced, getting ready to sing. "Doo doo, doo doo, doo doo, doo doo doo doo..."

After doing a little scat, to familiarise herself with the key and rhythm, she continued. "There once was a girl bird named Gertrude McFuzz. And she had the smallest plain tail ever was," she told Kirsty sadly, motioning to her small lilac tail. "One droopy-droop feather, that's all that she had. And oh! That one feather made Gertrude so sad," Next, she stood up and acted out all the following lyrics, to emphasise her countless attempts. "She curled it, she dyed it, she gave it a puff, she decked it with flowers but it wasn't enough."

Sitting back down, the tempo slowed down. "For no matter what, it just was what it was…a tail that simply wasn't meant to catch the eye of an elephant...the one feather tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz," she sighed, as she finished the song.

The two were quiet for a few moments, Kirsty knowing that Gertrude deserved a moment. "That was beautiful. I can tell that you really love Horton, and I'm sure you'll get to tell him how you feel. You have such a lovely voice, Gertie." Gertrude's face went bright red, to where she quickly apologised. "Oh, I'm so rude! I'm so sorry for calling you that, Gertrude-"

"No, it's okay. I actually like it!" she smiled, and hugged her tightly. "You're so nice! I bet we're going to be great friends!" She then let go of the embrace and moved away from the girl. "But Horton will never notice me like this. There must be a better way…Oh, what can I do?"

Abruptly, a quick salsa beat started playing, the calm air of the jungle fast forwarding to its typical chaos and activity. The two girls stood up quickly. Kirsty didn't know at all what was happening, but Gertrude had a very good idea, that beat confirming that Kirsty wasn't the only one who had heard her new masterpiece. Someone else had been listening in, and they were about to turn everything on its head, and back again.


	11. Chapter 10: An 'Amayzing' Debut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring."- Marilyn Monroe

**Chapter 10: An Amayzing Debut**

One by one, three bird girls came into view, reminding Kirsty of the ones she had seen when she had first arrived in the jungle way back in May. "Uh, who are they?" Kirsty whispered to Gertrude, as the three began to twirl around the pair.

"They're the 'Bird Girls', a musical group here in the Jungle of Nool," Gertrude explained, when the three had dispersed to various points. "The blue feather bird is Melissa, who is the oldest sister and the leader of the group. Closest to us is Tayla, with the green feather, second in command. And then the one with the yellow feathers is Sammy, the youngest one. They're sisters and best friends of Mayzie La Bird, who-"

"Hey Gertrude, how ya doing?"

Right on cue, the bedazzled pink feathered bird who was interviewed at the speck incident entered, who Kirsty assumed was Mayzie, looking even more proud and perfect than the last time she had first seen her. She glanced to them both, shaking her head. "Poor little Gertrude! A sorry sight!" Mayzie said, trying to sound sympathetic. "Well, I'm gonna take you under my wing and baby, you'll be all right!" She put her arm around Gertrude's shoulder, moving across a little, pushing Kirsty aside into the Bird Girls.

"Sorry about that," Kirsty apologized, after they had caught her. Melissa and Tayla just shrugged, quickly moving to their positions. The youngest one, Sammy, gave her a small smile in reply.

"No problem, girl," she whispered kindly. With that, Sammy moved into her place, to when Mayzie started to tell Gertrude her story. Kirsty made sure she stayed close, but kept to the side of the pair.

"I was once a plain little bird like you, kid," Mayzie sang to the young bird, adding a few dramatic notions here and there to add to the tale. "One pathetic feather was all I grew. I had nothing show off-ish. What's a plain bird to do?" She sighed, shaking her head as her eyes moved to Gertrude's one-feathered tail and then to Kirsty. "And there's certainly nothing show off-ish on you two…"

"Thank you, Mayzie," Gertrude and Kirsty replied, sarcastically. Even so, Kirsty could tell that her friend was hanging onto every word, even admitting herself that the bird had a great power of persuasion. Seeing this, Mayzie moved over to where Kirsty was standing, continuing her story.

"Then I made a plan for my self-improvement. No more crumbs, I vowed I would have the cake!" she told them, great determination in her voice. "Yes, I went to the doctor…"

"Doctor Dake by the lake!" Melissa, Tayla and Sammy chimed in, that name causing the three to have a 'fangirl' moment, before going back to their backup dance positions.

Mayzie gave out a small giggle, now in between both Gertrude and Kirsty. "And he told me what sort of a pill I should take!" Mayzie continued, pretend to drop a pill into her mouth to help tell push the story. "Now I'm..." As she built up her signature pose, the bird girl gathered around her, splitting Kirsty and Gertrude, the Latin beat increasing. "Amayzing Mayzie! As feathered as feathered can be now!" she sang, while performing some impressive moves which greatly showcased her spectacular pink shaded tail. "Amayzing Mayzie! It was all for sale!"

The Bird Girls formed a small group behind Kirsty, dancing a less exuberant routine for support. "Amayzing Mayzie!"

"The birds are all whistling at me now." Mayzie grinned, shaking her tail right in front of a very envious Gertrude.

"Amayzing Mayzie!"

"Baby, that's my tail!" she winked, before she went into her dance solo, Gertrude watching her with great suspense, the girl now eating out the palm of Mayzie's hand. It was now proven to Gertrude that this was the answer to her love struggle with Horton, that with a tail like Mayzie, that he would have no other option but to notice her.

The Bird Girls watched on, providing some back up, while helping Mayzie to lure Gertrude in further. "High or low,"

"Gee, it's fabulous!" Gertrude exclaimed, her eyes glued to the flawlessness of Mayzie's tail.

"Watch her go!"

"Gee, I'm envious!"

"To and fro, Mayzie's fabulous tail!"

Now next to Kirsty, Gertrude confined to her new friend. "I wish I had one like it," she couldn't help admit to Kirsty, before she waved nervously to Mayzie, who smiled back.

"Left and right."

"Best I've ever seen," Kirsty agreed.

"Day or night."

Mayzie paused a moment from her dance routine and went over to Gertrude. "Kid, you're turning green!" she told the bird, making Gertrude blush with admittance.

"What a sight, Mayzie's fabulous tail!" The Bird Girls sang, as they brought the two back around to Mayzie, who took Gertrude's wings.

"Get those pills," Mayzie urged her.

"Get the pills," the Bird Girls echoed, acting supportive.

Nodding, she quickly grabbed Kirsty. "And you can have frills," The bird ran the tips of her wings through the girl's hair, making it stand up in a style that showed Kirsty off quite well. Kirsty gasped while Gertrude couldn't help but laugh.

"Frills!"

Going back next to Gertrude, she spun the young girl bird around. "For all of the world to see. And you can be amayzing," Mayzie and the Bird Girls sang, at the moment when they parted and Mayzie strutted into the centre of the clearing.

"Well, almost..." Mayzie added as an afterthought, breaking out of her character for that brief second. Luckily for her, she soon snapped back into character. "As amayzing... as me!" Belting out her final note, she struck a fabulous pose, to when the music finished and moved to a more light back up tune.

The group gave a final wave and quickly left the scene, leaving Gertrude and Kirsty alone in the clearing. Without a word, Gertrude took off, Kirsty struggling to keep up by foot. The journey took a few minutes, until they arrived in a west section of the jungle, Kirsty panting heavily.

"Gertrude?" Kirsty asked her friend, wearily. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

The young bird spun around, slightly shocked by Kirsty's statement. "I've never been more certain in all my life," Gertrude confirmed. "I always knew that my looks were holding me back, but I just refused to admit it. Now, there is nothing stopping. Horton won't be able to resist me with such a flirtatious tail. Look at what it does for Mayzie! I'll be so stunning; you won't believe it's me!"

Before Kirsty could challenge Gertrude's decision, another tune began, Gertrude setting off. "So she flew to the doctor, the doctor named Dake, whose office was high in a tree by the lake," various snooping jungle animals sang, as Gertrude and Kirsty arrived at a short tree, which contained a small hut perched in its branches. "And she cried,"

Knocking loudly on the door, Gertrude continued where they had left off. "Mr. Doctor! Oh, please, do you know of some kind of pill that will make my tail grow?"

A few seconds later, an odd looking man, his attire matching one of a estranged doctor, came sliding down the tree, scaring the living daylights out of Kirsty. The man, who she assumed was Doctor Dake, examine Gertrude's one feathered tail, Kirsty noticed that this figure was once again wearing that familiar red and white top hat, except it was now much shorter than usual.  _Why on earth does that Hat keep popping up everywhere? Is there something I'm missing here?_

Her thoughts were interrupted, as the doctor gave his verdict. "Tut tut!', sagt der dockter. Diese gespra che ist zu veruckti! Ihr kleiner feder swanze ist sauna richitig fur ihr wogel art!" he responded, his thick german accent making it even harder to understand what he was saying. Kirsty and Gertrude, both utterly confused, raised an eyebrow and look to each other.

"Huh?" they asked in unison, which earnt them an over the top eye roll from Dr. Dake.

Clearing his throat, he translated his statement into more understandable English. "In other words, your little tail is just right for your kind of bird!" Gertrude stayed silent for a moment, her head beginning to twitch in anger. Gulping, Kirsty took a few steps back, not wanting to be in her way when Gertrude eventually burst.

As predicted, Gertrude's eyes flashed, her voice growing louder every second. "Then Gertrude had tantrums. She raised such a din that finally the doctor just had to give in!" she screamed, jumping up and down. Soon after, she stormed over to Dake, who had tripped over in fright. Who knew that appearance could be that deceiving!

"All right already!" Dake whispered in a high-pitched voice, trembling with distress. Leaping up, he clapped his hands, to which his two assistants appeared in the blink of an eye. "Bring in the Pill-berry bush!" They dispersed quickly, soon carrying in a strange looking plant, full of multi coloured 'pill' berries.

Nervously, Gertrude picked off a berry, and quickly put it down her throat. "Gulp!" Immediately after she swallowed her first one, she stuck her tongue out, the berries having a terrible after tang. She reached for another, trying to ignore her stomach and stay focused on her ultimate goal. "Gulp! Gulp!" This time she grabbed a handful. "Gulp gulp gulp!" Shortly after she swallowed her final pill, Gertrude began to feel rather nauseous, her stomach churning and her feathers heating up.

Kirsty went over to her friend, who was now breathing in and out quickly, her face white as a sheet. Having no idea what was going on, her head whipped round to Doctor Dake, who was making notes on his clipboard without a care in the world of what was happening to his patient. "Gertrude? Talk to me! What's wrong?"

In a fraction of an instant, Gertrude's head shot right up. "What was that?" she murmured, as the Bird Girls reappeared through a back door, sneaking around behind her. Kirsty just shook her head.  _Has anyone in this jungle ever heard of knocking, or is it just customary to get involved in other people's business around here?_

Meanwhile, Gertrude's situation was escalating quickly. "Something's itching me! What was that? Something's twitching me! What was that?" She looked in the corner of her eye, and gasped, seeing her one feathered tail had now been transformed in a medium sized ensemble of different shades of purple feathers. "Are those feathers I see? I think my tail's beginning!" Gertrude exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement, her dream finally coming true."Oh my word! This is wonderful! Second, third, Wow, I'm colourful!"

"What a bird!" Kirsty commented, also amazed by Gertrude's new tail.

"I'm beginning to be...Amayzing Gertrude!" Gertrude sang, performing her own version of Mayzie's solo, showing off her new tail with much delight.

"Just look at the tail she is sportin," the Bird Girls added, joining in with Gertrude. "Amayzing Gertrude!"

"Thank you, Doctor Dake!" Gertrude went over to the doctor, wrapping him in a tight hug as a sign of her utmost appreciation.

"Thanks, doc!" the Bird Girls echoed, as Gertrude went over to Kirsty, bringing her into an embrace. "Amayzing Gertrude!" the Bird Girls sang, dancing around them.

"And hopefully I'll impress Horton!" the young bird exclaimed, her eyes filled with much confidence.

"Amayzing Gertrude!" the Bird Girls continued.

Just as Kirsty thought that everything was over, Gertrude went back to the pill berry bush, her eyes having an almost crazy look about them. "One more pill will do me good, yes, it will! One more, one more, one more pill," she sang, before showing more pills down her throat. Despite Kirsty and Doctor Dake's efforts to stop her, it was too late, now almost all of the pills gone from the once full bush. This wasn't going to end well, Kirsty was sure of that, but that didn't seem to stop Gertrude.

"Soon, she'll have the biggest tail... she'll have the biggest tail!" the Bird Girls sang, Gertrude coming back into the dance number.

"I'll have the biggest tail!" Gertrude grinned.

"The biggest tail of..."

"All!" Gertrude spun around, hanging onto that last note like an opera singer, before showing off with one final pose, the music stopping. The Bird Girls all flocked around her, admiring her new tail.

While Gertrude chattered to the three girls, Dake went over to Kirsty. "So your friend Gertrude is happy. Her tail's nice and long," he smiled, happy after a good day's work.

Kirsty was just about to agree, when her head struck with pain. Much simular to her earlier vision of McElligot's pool, various blurred images flashed across her mind, including one of Horton, Gertrude and of the clover, falling for what seemed like forever. Luckily, the pain soon ended, to when words came out of Kirsty's mouth like an automatic recording. "Dake, fasten your seat belts. I think things might go wrong…" she breathed, before gasping for air.

Doctor Dake stepped back a bit, fascinated and curious. "What is this? I have never…How is this possible?" Just as Kirsty had begun to leave, he clicked his fingers, the teenager now in a fancy medical chair. "No, No, No! You are not going anywhere, my dear!" With Gertrude and the Bird Girls watching on, he began to examine her, holding up her hair and examining her skin. "Vell, Vell, Vell… This is quite peculiar…" he muttered, fixing his glasses. "I have never seen anything like this in all my years of research. A one of a kind you are, my girl!" He roughly wrote some notes down on his clipboard, before looking Kirsty deep in the eyes. "Oh dear…that is quite alarming…"

"W-what's wrong?" she inquired, now becoming increasingly anxious by the doctor's words.

He let her go, shaking his head. "Oh, nothing that concerns you as yet. Though I must ask, what it is I can do for you? Do you wish to be noticed to?" Before Kirsty had time to answer, he went on, acting as if he was some kind of physiatrist. "So young, yet so deeply complicated…"

Hearing alarm bells all over her mind, Kirsty felt even more vulnerable, especially when Mayzie came into view again. "You don't have to try and hide it, ya know. It's not a crime to want something you can never have. But remember, there is a way to make it all happen…" The doctor's assistants brought out a silver platter, on it some pill berries, which looked a little different from what Gertrude has taken. "Everything you ever wanted, all in one easy solution. Just take some, and all your worries will disappear."

"I-" Kirsty shook her head, not at all comfortable with this situation. She knew that this would somehow end badly, but why was she so tempted to take the risk? What was it she so desperately wanted?

"Come on, Kirsty! Just have a try!" Gertrude added. "Look what those pills did to me. They made me the girl I've always wanted to be. Just think about what it could do for you! If I can do it, then so can you!"

Pressure mounting, all eyes on her, Kirsty held the small pills in her hands, still debating on the pending decision. As she sat in silence, a voice whispered to her, almost like a memory.

_Just do it, Kirsty. You're almost there…the girl you dream to be. The entire universe in the palm of your hands. It can all be yours…_

Like a trigger, her hand subconsciously shoved the pills down her own throat, in a moment of no control. Distraughtly, she tried to spit them out, but it was all for nought, the damage done.  _What…what just happened? Was that even me? What on earth have I just done?_

Her stomach turning and her head sore, Dake placidly showed her the way out, Gertrude helping her. "Good girl. Now, the process will take a couple of weeks, but I guarantee you vill be looking amayzing in no time! In the meantime, make sure to come back every few days, so I can run some tests. You are quite special, so it is best that you are looked after." Tipping his hat to his two clients, he went back into his office, on his face a sneer of suspicion.

Following a moment of silence, Gertrude began to jump up and down in utter ecstasy. "This has to be the best day of my life, and only better is to come. For both of us! Oh, how on earth can I repay Mayzie, and you as well Kirsty! You supported me in my ventures, which even lead to you taking the chance." She looked back to her friend, her face white and scared. "Speaking of which, what was that something that Mayzie was talking about? Anyway, enough of that! I promised the Bird Girls I would come back to their place, to get ready for my debut as the new and improved Miss Gertrude McFuzz! See you soon, Kirsty! I owe you!"

Quickly Gertrude flew off, waving to Kirsty as she left. After resting for a few minutes, to take in the past moments, she decided to go back to Horton, to try and prepare herself for whatever would happen, and then back to Who, via necklace of course. She hoped that there might be a letter from Jojo in the mail, but she highly doubted it. He had been in the academy for three months now and she still didn't have a reply from her last letter, but she just assumed that he must have been too caught up in actually surviving, not to mention the strict rules that an institution like General Schmitz academy must have. Though, while walking back, she tried to put back that strange message which had caused her to act so desperate with those pills. What did it all mean? Why was it in her mind? And more importantly, was this only the beginning of a spiral into a dangerous madness?

 


	12. Chapter 11: A Birthday Worth Forgetting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There are two great days in a person's life - the day we are born and the day we discover why."- William Barclay

**Chapter 11: A Birthday Worth Forgetting**

"Morning, sleepyhead…"

Drowsy, Kirsty slowly woke up to the sight of her friend Horton, his hazel eyes the first thing she saw, calm and relaxed as always. She, unlike Horton, was far from that. Her head felt light, her hair was in knots and every part of her body ached, her overall mood extremely lethargic.

As she tried to sit up from her bed on the floor, Horton crouched down to her level. "Slept in, I see?"

At first, Kirsty was puzzled. It was only when Horton did tell her the time did she realised what he meant by 'slept it'. The time was about eight in the morning, quite late in comparison to her usual waking time, which was closer to six. "It must be those pills. Ever since I took them, I've had the worst time sleeping."

Horton laughed, before passing her some water. "Oh well, I'm sure you'll be okay. Dake does seem to know what he's doing most of the time." Suddenly, he gasped. "I almost forgot! I have something for you!" Quickly, the elephant disappeared to the rear of this hut, soon returning with a rectangular parcel, covered with straw and tropical leaves. "Go on. Open it!"

"Uhh…okay…" Not sure why she was receiving this, Kirsty began to open the box, cautiously. Her eyes went wide, as inside lay a handcrafted black, white and red hammock, made with reeds from the River Walloo, braided through it small gems, beads and feathers. There was also with it a cloak, with a red and white pattern strum across it. Beside the hammock lay a note. It read: 'Hope this gives you a better night sleep. You deserve it.'

"Happy Birthday, Kirsty."

Those words made Kirsty raise an eyebrow, extremely foreign in her mind. She had heard them before- not to her, but to various other children back at her orphanage- but she had never expected them to be said to her, ever. "What do you mean?"

"Well, a few weeks ago, you told me that you were born on the 24th of September," Horton explained, going down to a slightly confused Kirsty. "So, I decided that I would give you something special to celebrate. Haven't you ever had a birthday before?" Seeing the teenager shake her head, he too gained a look of shock, but soon moved on. "Gertrude helped me make it ages ago, but after you arrived, I decided to colour it to suit your style. AS for the cloak…I'm not really sure where I found that, but I thought you might like it all the same."

Kirsty gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Horton." Taking some of the clothes she had taken from her wardrobe in Whoville, she moved over to an enclosed area of the hut, beginning to get dressed. "I'd better get a move on, or else I'll be late for the meeting this morning."

"Why did you even agree to go to those meetings with the Mayor? Every time you come back after one, you always looked irked about something."

"That doesn't matter. The Mayor is happy that I am attending them with him, so I will keep on attending them. Anything to keep away from that military academy."

"Stop worrying, Kirsty. Your parents wouldn't send you to a military academy. They would never allow it."

Sighing, she turned around, now dressed in a pencil skirt and blouse, necklace in hand. "Well, how do I look?"

Horton nodded. "Ready for a big day in politics. Just promise me you will enjoy yourself today. That's what birthdays are all about!" Giving her a small hug with his trunk, he urged her to smile. "Just relax. Today is going to be perfect, trust me."

Returning the smile, she disappeared to Whoville, where she landed in a side street just next to the city hall. In the past months, she had improved with her skills of using the necklace, now able to pinpoint her position to anywhere in either world where she had been before. While stepping into the hall, she silently wishing she had previously asked the Mayor where his office was, not at all sure where to go. For the next ten minutes, she went through corridor after corridor, looking for any signs or people who, unlike her, would know what they were doing.

_Utterly and completely lost. Great work, Kirst…. Really nailing the role as daughter of the most important political figure in Whoville! You're such a-_

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LOST THEM?!"

Upon hearing the surprisingly gruff voice, Kirsty had the sudden curiosity to investigate, slowly and silently moving to where she believed the voice was coming from.

"I asked you to do one thing for me, which was to track the subjects and dispose of them. A SIMPLE TASK, RUBERT!" the voice yelled again, the static sounds indicating that it was obviously coming from some sort of communication devise. "We are already far enough behind schedule as it is, without the added Thinker problem you 'gentlemen' fail to keep a hold on. Only a few days ago did I find out that the source is supposedly in Seussia!"

A collective amount of gasps and arguments followed that remark, the gruff voice immediately silencing them. "Now we know the cause of the sudden flip in attitudes! The increase in colour, character development and those…musical numbers…" He spat out those last words, before his voice grew deeper. "This only means that our work needs to be pushed forward. If we are not careful, and make more stupid mistakes, our whole operation could be exposed!" Taking a breath in, he moved on. "Anything else to report? Jack?"

"Yes, your honour," a familiar voice responded, which shockingly, belonged to the lead council chairman. "There has been a development with the Mayor and his wife. You see, they have supposedly found their missing daughter." The gruff voice was just about to yell again, when the lead chairman bet him to the mark. "There is little of her to make sense of; especially her memorable entry to the public through the roof of this very hall. We keep tabs on her, just to make sure that the extremely unlikely will not happen. Though, if that falls through, then we have the Thinker boy to lean back on. It's not like they can turn against us, anyway."

Kirsty, who had been holding her breath for quite some time, unevenly stood up, trying to comprehend everything she had just heard. Her thoughts were broken however, when a voice called out her name.

"Kirsty! There you are!"

Mrs Mayor came rushing through the hallway, her eyes brightening when she saw her daughter. "I knew I should have let you know earlier! Your father's meeting is cancelled, so we thought that we would do something special for your birthday!"

"How did you-" Kirsty tried to ask, before she was whisked away by her mother.

In the short walk to their destination, the teenager managed to ask Mrs Mayor how on earth she knew that information. Mrs Mayor smiled and simply answered. "I'm your mother, Kirsty. What don't I know about you?"

That comment almost made Kirsty sick, a guilty feeling rising up in her stomach. Every single day she kept the truth from them, the more it would hurt them the day she finally told them. She couldn't help putting it off, but for some reason, it was hard for her even think about it.

Finally, they stopped walking, as Mrs Mayor took her into a small shop on one of the busier streets of Whoville. Kirsty couldn't help but gasp, the most extravagant outfits and dresses filling the space.

Meanwhile, a tall man donning a green and blue suit entered from a back room. "Ah! Mrs Mayor, how wonderful to see you again! Still as stunning as ever, I see."

"Same to you, Mr Francesco," she told him, as he lightly kissed her gloved hand. "I must express my condolences. I was so sad on hearing you would be losing your store. We tried everything we could to overpass it, you should know, William."

"And to think that just three years ago, I was the most requested dressmaker in all of Who! I don't entirely understand how my creations could be dangerous, but nevertheless, I will respect the government's decision." As he was looking around the room, reflecting upon the years, his eyes caught sight of Kirsty, who was admiring a purple velvet suit jacket on one of the racks. "Now, don't tell me…you must be Kathleen! I still can't believe that you found her, after all these years!"

Surprised, Kirsty turned around, to when Mr Francesco lightly kissed her hand. "A pleasure to meet you, sir. Though, my name is actually Kirst-"

She was cut off, as Mr Francesco spun her around, quickly measuring the teenager, writing down notes as he went. When he finally finished, he observed her, pondering to himself. "So, what is the formality? Any requests on styling? Colour?"

Mrs Mayor stood next to him, also observing. "I'm not sure. This is the precise reason I came to you, William. No one makes outfits like you can! "

"I have a few ideas, but none seem to pop out at me," Mr Francesco muttered, as he scattered through various racks and books. After more observation, an idea popped into his head, causing the man to begin jumping around like a maniac. "I know! How about we try them all?"

Like a small child in a lolly shop, he violently pulled Kirsty through the door which he had come from earlier, revealing a large dressing room. With a click of his fingers and a clap of his hands, she found herself surrounded by a group of assistants, who busily started to work on her hair and makeup, before another group took over, fitting and modifying her outfits. Mr Francesco was never far away, ordering people around and judging various combinations of fabrics. At the side of the room sat Mrs Mayor, and soon Mr Mayor as well. With each dress they were shown, you could hardly tell their opinions, unusual expressions adoring their faces each time.

Four hours later, Kirsty was now standing straight up- due to the fact of an added corset-in a large and puffy shell pink coloured dress, which was interesting to say the very least. With her face covered with heavy makeup, her hair lighting up like a Christmas tree and her feet about ready to collapse from the high glass heels she current sported, her usually patience spirit could hardly take any more of this.

"So, what do you think of this? A true masterpiece, I assure you! Isn't it something?"

Mr Mayor's mouth hanged fully open, words not being able to come out, while his wife just sat beside him, slightly worried. "It is certainly something, Mr Francesco…I'm just not sure what…" the Mayor mumbled, just before Mr Francesco lead the parents out the room to speak with them privately.

_Well, wasn't this an interesting development…Kirsty, just breathe! Just ignore the painful corset and breathe…don't worry, you will find a way out of this._

Knowing she had to 'face the music' sooner or later, she went back into the main entrance of the shop, her parent glancing to her as if pleading her to make a suitable response. She had no idea what to say, or what direction to even go, making her begin to shake from the anxiety. Suddenly, a thunderous rev broke the eerie silence, as a shiny orange motor scooter with a black sidecar pulled out in front of the store.

"Quick! You wanna get out of here or what?" the rider yelled, his identity hidden by the big goggles over his eyes. Running out of time-and completely scared of the alternative- she ran to the door, and swiftly got into the side car as it drove away, before Mr and Mrs Mayor could say a word. The wind blowing through her hair, various amounts of the ribbon attached flying into the distance, Kirsty stayed silence the whole five minute journey, her eyes constantly looking up at the driver, who was also not speaking.

_I have really been lacking my sense of judgement lately. I bet that someday, I am going to get into so much trouble because of that…_

Soon, they arrived at the town's old abandoned observatory, which was on the far side of Whoville. No one went near there anymore, mainly because a newer facility had been built years ago, which made it the perfect place to escape. Stepping out of the side car, she nearly fell over in surprise, the driver pulling off his helmet.

"Jojo?! " Lost for words, the two friends exchanged a hug, excited and thankful that each was alive and well. "I… Where- Why-…How?-"

"It's good to see you too," Jojo told her, smiling. "Don't worry, I'll explain everything shortly. For now, I think it's best if we get you out of this meringue!" He couldn't help but giggle at that last part, before he sneaked her inside.

When they were both inside the observatory, the sight before them was a feast for all the senses, all around the room inventions, instruments and creations of all shape, size and job imaginable. Each of the multiple levels had a different style, but each had pieces of paper and blueprint strum everywhere the eye could see.

After putting away his jacket and helmet, Jojo got out a bag. "Before we do anything, change into these. I'm sorry if they aren't your size; I got them in a hurry. There's a room over there which you can use. Just don't touch anything, you got that?"

"I swear," Kirsty answered, desperate to get out of her claustrophobic dress. "Though, you might have to help me with the corset." Seeing Jojo's face, a smile crept onto her face. "Don't even ask. I'd like to forget about the whole incident, if you don't mind." With the two working together to get the outfit unassembled, and some light humour in-between, Kirsty was soon dressed in a much more conformable skirt and shirt.

"So, how about I get to the explaining?" Sitting down on a chair over to the side of the space, Jojo shuffled his feet, while Kirsty struggled to remove her makeup and modify her hair. A small nod confirmed his suspicion, which began the story. "First thing…this place here is yes, my home. I've been here since I was five and your presence here automatically swears you to ultimate secrecy. Secondly, to let you know, I am still in the academy. Reason I am here is because I was licenced to a day off for good behaviour. Next, that scooter is mine, and it's my invention…long story. Lastly, the reason I knew where you were is simple; Horton told me."

Lifting her head from the sink, Kirsty raised an eyebrow. "How would he-" Suddenly, a light flicked on in her brain, a slight groan slipping out in annoyance. "Someone's been chatty with the Politian's lately…"

Jojo jumped up from his seat, holding out his hand to his friend. "Come with me, I've got something I want to show you," he whispered playfully to her. As she grasped his hand, he ran out of the room into the main space, where he pulled a hanging rope above them, the two rising up to the highest floor. Pressing a button beside them, he opened up the rooftop, light swirly clouds only lightly filling the crystal blue sky.

Clearing his throat, Jojo took both of Kirsty's hands. "Now, I know that you may think you don't deserve this. Any of this. Even if that is true, I don't care in the slightest, because I believe you do. I trust you, Kirsty, and that isn't an easy thing for me to do. As a symbol of our friendship, our eternal, everlasting friendship, I would like to ask you if you would have the honour of helping me to plant this." With that, he pulled out a small drawstring bag, and after putting on a pair of silk gloved, carefully took out a seed.

"This is, from my knowledge, the last Truffula seed," Jojo explained. "I found it when I first discovered this place. For years, I have waited for the perfect time to plant it, and now I've finally found it."

The room fell into a natural silence, the two young teenagers beginning the delicate task of planting the seed. It almost was a moment of mourning, it being so long since the trees had been destroyed in unknown- and not to mention sceptical – circumstances. However, as drops of water began to sink into fresh earth that was enclosed by the terra cotta pot, it also felt like a time of renewal, and the possible beginning of hope and reconciliation, which was what Kirsty and Jojo both wished would reflect into their own societies.

Twirling around the room, an unfamiliar smile formed on Kirsty's face, one not seen since Jojo and herself had Thinked up McElligot's pool. Jojo laughed, causing the girl to do the same, before they began to dance around freely in the spirit of their reunion. Unexpectedly, with one wrong step, Kirsty tripped and fell backwards, bringing Jojo down with her.

As if perfectly planned, they landed on top of each other, lips distance between them.

Kirsty, who now felt slightly awkward and embarrass by her clumsy actions, tried to stand up, but was stopped, as Jojo suddenly planted a kiss against her lips. She was completely speechless for the seconds that followed after that, even more when he let her go. Before she could even think about a reaction, a large bang could be heard from downstairs. They broke away from each other and tried to rush to an exit, fearing the worse. However, the worse happened, one of the walls crashing inwards, General Schmitz, the lead council chairman, the Mayor and his wife now in view. Their eyes flickered between the two teenagers, none able to express words for all that they could see.

"Just as I predicted," General Schmitz said, marching slowing towards the pair. "I did try to warn you, Mr Mayor, about the risk. You wished to see proof and here it is." He stood right over Kirsty at this point, soon lifting her own head up and looked deep into her eyes. "Your daughter has been dragged into this dangerous world in her own accord. She is a danger to all who surround her, and if something is not done about her excessive imagination…I do fear the worst for her."

Through his long and suspenseful speech, Kirsty had been shaking like a leaf, not from only nerves. Her vision disorientated and a tingle going throughout her spine, just at a point when she thought she would have to let out a yell of pain, it all stopped. When the General finally stepped away from her, and as she tried to back up against a wall, Jojo let out a small cough, uncertainly eying a tiny mirror above where her parent were standing. Eyes squinting, the teenager nearly had a heart attack when she saw her reflection.

She had just grown a tail. A black and white CAT tail.

At this point inside her mind, Kirsty was screaming her head off.  _A cat's tail? Why in the world did I have to get one of those? At this very moment?! I guarantee it…someone here really must have it in for me…._ Immediately, she grabbed hold of it, and struggled to keep a straight hold of the thing, her new tail having a mind of its own. She knew she couldn't hold onto it for much longer, neither did she have enough time to conjure up a suitable plain quick enough to get out of the situation.

Out of the blue, Jojo ran to one side of the room, and pressed a small button at his feet. Just before he did, he signalled subtly to a machine which lay close by her. Understanding what he meant, she ran straight for it, and as the button was pressed, small fireworks exploded everywhere, and a cloud of smoke blew up, just enough cover for a quick via-necklace retreat.

"Take that boy into custody," the lead chairman yelled, the General managing to cuff Jojo, before leading him away, his own escape plan failing. Mrs Mayor now in tears, her husband led his distressed wife out of the observatory, leaving only the lead council chairman in the empty building.

"All units report to location 36. Conduct a full scale search, and then begin protocol. Stage 1 is complete…"

* * *

Dake took a step back, having a moment to review his latest patient, who at that very moment had her head in her hands, shaking uncontrollably due to shock. Never in his years of medical research had he experienced something like this before, both the result of the medication and the client themselves baffling him.

"How fascinating…this is even more remarkable than I thought…"

As Dake continued to inspect Kirsty's newly 'sprouted' tail, the girl herself was almost at her limit. The moment she had returned to Nool, she had confined to Horton, not able to utter more than two or three words. Now, she sat rigid on Horton's bed, her friend rushing to Dake to ask for an examination. "…W-what's happening t-to me, Dake?"

"Nothing too extreme, at this point." Pulling a thermometer out of the teenager's mouth, the doctor quickly scribbled down some notes. "These pills only result in relatively minor changes, at least from what I know. I won't know for sure with your particular case without further tests."

"You must be able to get rid of it, doctor," Horton said, getting a wet cloth and brushing it against Kirsty's forehead with his trunk, trying to calm her down. "Surely there must be some sort of pill to overturn-"

Dake raised an eyebrow at the elephant, scoffing. "Get rid of it? I'll be doing nothing of the sort!" Frustrated, Kirsty fell down onto the bed, not able to take any more. The doctor simply ignored her, still talking to Horton. "I am in the mists of one of the most ground-breaking medical discoveries of the last century! Think of the research I could perform, the data I could collect, the mysteries I could uncover!"

"Who care about the research? What I care about is why on earth you would give a creature, which is clearly NOT a bird, these 'pills'! She is not some tester you can just trial all your little experiments on, you know?"

Taken aback by Horton's sudden and unfamiliar flare-up, Dake decided there was no point in arguing. "I see your point. Even so, the tail stays, until a safe extraction method can be determined. Now, if you don't mind, I have many other patients to see before the day is out, so I will leave. If there is any change in her condition within the next twenty seven hours, do not hesitate to come and find me." And with that, doctor Dake quickly left, the tension of the room sinking into each of the two friends.


	13. Chapter 12: A Splintered Recollection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears."- Les Brown

**Chapter 12: A Splintered Recollection**

" _You think you're so special, don't you?"_

Within a split second, Kirsty's eyes fluttered open, the teenager panting and sweating like she had just run an Olympic marathon. She attempted to sit up, but struggled, her arms shaking rapidly. Eventually, she managed to sit herself up, but on trying to get out of her hammock, she was stopped, her legs feelings half paralysed. All she could feel was her heart, its loud, heavy beat ten times faster than it was meant to be.

"The nightmare again…"

Twisted memories and visions flashed across Kirsty's vision, while familiar words branded themselves into her brain, making it hard for the girl to control her balance.  _I thought I had got them under control. I'm such an idiot!_ This hadn't been the worst one she had had- these type of dreams were a regular thing, occurring since her early teens- but it had caused the greatest shock, the whole concept warped in way she had never expected. No one knew about them, and she intended to keep it that way, knowing that this was an issue for her to deal with alone.

She managed to direct herself to the small river in front of Horton's hut, the cool river calming and silencing the voices circling her mind. Even though the wind was cold, and there was a light drizzle, Kirsty sat herself down on a small rock, unaffected by the weather. The whole jungle was practically silent, something the teenager was yet to get used to, her old residence full of the familiar noise and sounds of the city. However tonight, it consoled Kirsty, a suitable balance to the hectic affairs inside her head.

"Can't sleep, huh?"

Kirsty glanced to her side, noticing Horton coming towards her. Quickly, she wiped the dry tears from her face, removing any evidence of her problems. She moved her glance away when he sat beside her, trying to remove attention from herself.

"I always like the jungle at night this time of year, you know?" Horton said, looking out at the starts. "Quiet, at ease…at peace. It is as if, for one moment, that everything is right, like we are living in another heaven." He sighed, before looking back to the teenager. "You don't talk much, do you? Is something up?"

Shuffling to the side, Kirsty didn't respond, which only made Horton more determined. "Come on, you can't hide from me forever. I know something's up. If anything is wrong, you can always-"

"-It's none of your concern," Kirsty interrupted. "Anyway, I'm fine."

Concern now covering his face, he muttered. "Well, that's an outright lie." When Kirsty snapped her head around to face him, he continued, wrapping his trunk around her hands so she would be forced to look him in the eye. "Please, Kirsty. Talk to me. You have hardly spoken since you came back from Whoville this afternoon. I haven't been able to get in touch with Jojo. Is he okay? What happened over there?"

It took a while before Kirsty gave Horton a suitable response, the girl not knowing where to begin. "It's complicated…where would you like me to start?"

Satisfied, Horton let one of her hands go, and began to stroke the other. "How about we start at the beginning? What is your family like? Besides Mr and Mrs Mayor, of course. Do you have any-"

"Mr and Mrs Mayor aren't my parents."

Horton paused, raising an eyebrow. "Oh…so are they your adoptive parents or something like that? Or are they your foster parents? Or only family members?"

"They aren't my parents. They never were. I-….I'm a human."

"A….human?" the word sounded funny in Horton's throat, coming out slightly jumbled. "What in the world is that? I've never heard of them before. Is that some kind of Who?"

Kirsty sighed, shaking her head. This is what she had feared, and knew would happen if she ever would have the guts to explain her situation to Horton. For the following hour, the teenager simply and slowly explained what humans were, and how she came from a world outside of this one. Horton sat, listening attentively, only asking a few questions, and soon understood the basics, including why she reacted the way she did on their first encounter.

When his friend has finished her explanation, Horton gave out a small laugh. "You were right when you said your story was complicated," he told her, before growing serious. "But, wait…if you come from another world, what about your family back there? And your friends? Won't they be worried about you?"

"I-I don't have any," Kirsty whispered, as she looked down at the water beneath her feet. "I'm an orphan. My parents don't exist…not anymore. I lost them a short time after I was born, so I don't know that much about it. It was an accident, that's how I got this." Pulling down her high collar, Horton saw that on her neckline was a collection of thin lines, once a large scar. "I never knew them- I don't even know their names or what they look like- so it doesn't worry me much."

Keeping quiet, Horton gave her a hug with his trunk, which deeply hid the slight suspicion that he felt that Kirsty was just repeating an overdone story and that something grimmer, and more unnerving, hid underneath her almost convincing façade. For Kirsty, this hug was a chance for her to let out a few much needed tears, the girl not having the valour to show her pain to her elephant friend.

Releasing the girl from his embrace, he decided to clear the air with a lighter approach. "Hey, how about I tell you a story my mamma once told me?"

Not in a mood to argue, Kirsty gave in, as Horton snuggled up next to her, putting his trunk around her shoulders. "When I was much smaller, my mamma used to tell me the most amazing stories, full of wonder, adventure and the most impossible things imaginable. Once, she told me the tale of the eleven doors, which was, in my opinion, one of the most mysterious."

Seeing Kirsty's eyes widen slightly, curious to know more, he continued. "The first door, she told me, showed a world where the wildest creatures roamed, the terrain as complicated and extreme as its citizens itself. The second lay a world inhabited by minuscule people who couldn't be seen even by the strongest eye, their planet sometimes in the form of a dust mould, and sometimes as a snowflake, depending on the season.

With each door he explained, the more excited he became, Horton knowing this story entirely off by heart. "The third held a tropical land, its most famous element being a pool filled with the most unusual underwater creatures, of all shapes and sizes, who could sing in every possible and impossible language ever once spoken. The forth led to an island of intelligent turtles, while the fifth was the gateway to a seaside paradise where all worries were forgotten and time didn't matter. The sixth door was a place full of fantasies, glamor and people who played a thousand parts, the seventh was a place once of judgement, now a place of unity, independence and admiration, and the eight was a city where your birthday is considered a national holiday."

"The ninth door…" he said, taking a deep breath in. "was my mother's absolute favourite. It leads the most special, but sometimes the most emotion place of all, a place where who you are doesn't lead to shame. Its name was Solla Sollew."

That name, for some particular reason, struck a chord with Kirsty. "Solla Sollew…" she murmured to herself, desperately trying to grab a hold of a distant memory, but she failed to establish how it was familiar. "What about the last two?"

"The last two doors were the most mysterious, and almost paralleled from all the others," Horton told her, his voice growing deep. "The tenth door lead to a place where your story never mattered, and its pages could be rewritten. The eleventh door was perhaps the most important of all, a place of births, deaths and alternative paths. No one knew much about them, as no one who was told to have been through them…at least to what we know."

Kirsty's eyes went wide again, eager to know more. "What, you mean to say that people could have gone in there, yet their memory was deleted? How-"

"Slow down! Kirsty, it's just a story! Most people just think it's a myth," Horton said, trying to calm her down. "As a little kid, I used to think it was real, and for years, I would go in search for the doors, wanting to be the first kid in Nool to be brave enough to find them. But, as I grew up and after my mother disappeared, I learnt that stories are just a mix of fact and mostly fiction. Besides, how could something like those doors stay hidden forever?"

Before Kirsty could say another word, Horton was on his feet, looking back to his hut. "Come on, you should get some sleep. You've had a big day."

"Yeah…" she responded, also standing up. "Especially after I became the council's public enemy number one. And got Jojo back in trouble…."

Immediately, Horton turned back around, his expression shocked. "What?" He went back over to Kirsty, demanding answers. "Jojo's in trouble? Did something happen to you two?"

The teenager shuffled her feet, this issue also a complicated one. "I don't know. All I know is that the council has been keeping tabs on me, and that they are hiding something, something big. They know things that no one else knows, and they are in contact with someone…I'm not sure who, who is trying to complete some huge operation."

"Whatever it is, it sounds suspicious," Horton said. "Have you told your D - I mean, Mr Mayor?" He let out a small groan, annoyed at how quickly he had forgotten that very important detail. "I'm sorry. It's going to take me a while to remember all this stuff. But are you- this seems like something he should be involved in."

"I'm not sure…" Kirsty answered. "I think it is best if we keep it to ourselves for the time being, just in case it leads to nothing. Anyways, I want to explore it further. Something just seems wrong, everywhere I turn I can feel it."

The two soon went back to the hut, Horton personally putting the teenagers to sleep before he himself, went back to his own bed. Just as she thought she would finally get some sleep, without warning, Kirsty's head began to sway and multiple colours flashed across her vision. Not long after that, Kirsty collapsed into her hammock, her eyes closing, leading the way for her unsettled mind to take over.

* * *

_Rain falls heavily against the tin iron roof, the very thing which causes Kirsty to open her eyes. The moment her eyes lay sight of the room in front of her, they wish to seal themselves shut._

" _Please…Not this. Anything but this nightmare…."_

_Her voice comes out in a cracked whisper, almost silent. This scene is one that has been seen more than enough to become familiar, every detail known thousands of times over._

" _I'm sorry! Please, please stop!"_

_The teenager's attention now is placed direction on a tiny girl, close to the age of four. She looks to the eye maybe of age two, her body so small and skinny, but Kirsty has seen her enough to know her true age._

" _Please…" the girl sobs, her small tears splashing across her now destroyed outfit. Her entire leg is covered with small bruises, and her right cheek now dons a fresh bloody scar. The moment the child's head lifts up, Kirsty is frozen shut upon the sight of her eyes, filled with pure fright and terror._

" _You think you can just walk in here and get away with all the pain your life had caused my family Who in the world do you think you are?"_

_Instantly, the girl disappears, and Kirsty's eyes are directed to another corner of the room, where another child, about eight years old, lies on the floor, rasping for air. Before the girl can even try and recover, the owner of the voice comes into view. Soon after, the figure comes up close to the girl and kicks her repeatedly in the chest, causing the child to cry out in pain._

" _You know the rules, kid," the figure continues, their voice having an upper class feminine pitch. "Remember, If you try and break our little deal-"_

_Carefully, the figure lifts up the girl by her neck and without warning, a dagger is pulled from the figure's pocket, which rapidly swipes across the girl's neck. Shocked, the girl lets out a blood curdling scream, and quickly rips apart fabric from her clothes to stop what seems like a waterfall of blood. The figure does nothing to help the girl, instead walks out of view with one final statement, one which sent shivers down Kirsty's spine._

_"-…you may regret it..."_

_As the figure made a slow exit, the young girl remains lying on the ground, crying in a small puddle of her own blood on the hardwood floors. Eventually, she manages to lift herself up, her eyes an even more haunting image than the previous girl._

_Soon, the girl vanished, the room seemingly empty, as the sun began to shine through the cracked windows. Kirsty is still frozen- this was always the most haunting moment- even when she senses the presence of someone behind her. She turns, seeing a girl sitting on the window's ledge, their long blonde hair blowing lightly in the early morning breeze. In their hands is a knife, identical to the one seen earlier, which the girl is turning over in her hands._

_Unlike the rest of the nightmare, the whole section is peaceful and calm, a dramatic and partly unsettling change, which Kirsty expected. She has seen all this before, once even from another angle, and knows how it all progresses. As Kirsty moves over to the window, the girl remains silent, their breathing and the slight wind the only sound in the whole room. When Kirsty is almost right behind the girl, an eerie and unanticipated voice speaks up._

" _You can't hide from your past forever. Just look at the damage already."_

_That sentence confuses Kirsty, now having the courage to speak. "What are you talking about?"_

" _Just never let your guard down, especially in this world. You may believe that this is all a dream, but just because something is a dream doesn't mean it won't leave a generous mark." This causes the girl on the window to turn to face Kirsty, a figure who Kirsty hasn't ever seen before, the whole orientation of this dream now turned on its head. She seems almost recognizable, except for the major detail of her eyes, which are a deep blue-black colour. However, all that she can see is the agony and cruel that lies beneath them, something out of her worst nightmare._

" _Prepare yourself, younger self. Your own troubles are the least of your worries…."_


	14. Chapter 13: Monkey Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Brothers don't necessarily have to say anything to each other – they can sit in a room and be together and just be completely comfortable with each other.”– Leonardo DiCaprio

**Chapter 13: Monkey Business**

"Jay! Get your butt out here now before we all get it!"

The youngest of the monkey brothers gasped, quickly leaping out of his hammock, which he had been peacefully sleeping before he was rudely awoken. As he struggled to style his fur, he glanced at his alarm clock, which read twelve in the afternoon. He had no clue how he could have slept in that late, but he didn't have time to worry about anything except the matter at hand; he was extremely late for the Wickersham's meeting with the Sour Kangaroo. Rushing outside, he skidded to a halt, as he saw that the jungle was completely deserted and the sun had only just risen over the hills. As he tried to figure out what was going on, he heard someone snickering behind him, making him bang his head on the nearest tree in annoyance.

_You can't be serious. Someone just shoot me now._

Rolling his eyes, Jay turned around, to see his older brother Kyle hanging on a branch laughing his head off. "You should have seen your face!" he exclaimed, hardly audible as he continued to laugh. "After sixteen years of living with me, he still falls for the same pranks I did to him when he was five. You never learn, do you little bro?"

"For once, I have to agree with Kyle on that," a voice agreed, which belong to the oldest of the monkey brothers, Chase. "Seriously Jay, when are you ever going to start acting like your blood?"

Groaning, Jay replied. "Maybe when you guys stop treating me like an idiot or stop tricking everyone else…whatever comes first. I saw what you did to those harmless kids yesterday. Why do we always have to get involved in everyone else's business?"

Kyle stared at him confused, not believing what his brother was saying. "Because that's what we do. Jay, you are a Wickersham whether you like it or not! You should start acting like one, for your own sake!"

As the two dispersed away from their youngest sibling, Jay let out a much awaited sigh. They weren't always like this; he remembered the days when they were as close as brothers could be as well as any other. Though as the years went by, and the older they got, his older brothers had become more distant, their age differences now clear. As he now didn't have the patience to try and go back to sleep- he knew that if he tried, Kyle would most likely try and prank him again- he slipped away though the trees and up to his own private hut, hidden amongst the high foliage.

Entering the room, his whole aura changed, the monkey now in his element. The space was small in comparison to the Wickersham's main residence, but this was much more a home to Jay. Filled with more musical instruments and equipment that you could count, he spent every waking moment up here, planning and creating the one song which would make him, and prove to his brothers that he did have a talent. Swiftly, he picked up his favourite electric guitar, ready to begin brainstorming. He knew what to play, but he'd yet to figure out the lyrics. The more he kept thinking about them, the more frustrated he became.

_Why does this have to be the one day where I can't think of anything?! Or maybe my brothers are right; maybe I should just stick to accompanying those who have what it takes?_

About to give up, a sweet voice stopped Jay in his tracks, the words sounding heartfelt, yet upbeat and catchy. Inspired, he looked out the closest window, desperate to find the lyrics' owner, to where he saw a girl sitting near the River Walloo, pen and paper in hand.  _Wait, she was that girl from the Biggest Blame Fool episode…that girl who was with Horton…_

Curiosity taking over him, Jay decided to get a little bit closer to her. As he tried to swing over to the next tree, he lost his balance and slipped, falling right on top of someone. He quickly stood up, helping them get up and checking if anything was broken. "Geez! I'm so sorry! Are you-?" he began to ask, before seeing who it was who he had landed on, his face turning a light shade of pink. "Sammy…"

"I'm fine, Jay. A few bruises won't kill me." she told the monkey, brushing the specks of dirt off her yellow feathers. He wasn't surprised the way she just shrugged the incident off; in her childhood, she had been quite the tomboy. "How on earth did you manage to fall out of the tree like that? What ever happened to those amazing monkey reflexes of yours?"

Jay laughed. "Uh, yeah…must have skipped me or something…" Sammy laughed, which sounded just as sweet as her voice, making the monkey go into a daze. "How about you come inside and see my place? I-I mean…just to check if you're really oka- If…if you want to, t-that is…" He fumbled over his words, trying not to give her the wrong idea.

"-Jay!" Sammy interrupted, before adding kindly. "I'd love to come and see your place. You're so nice." The two quickly went up the tree, Jay at the lead, going up near the top, to where his secret hideout was, with Sammy flying close behind.

Soon enough, they arrived, Jay opening the door, causing Sammy to gasp at the contents of the room. "This is awesome! How on earth did you manage to find a place like this?"

The young monkey rubbed the back of his neck, beginning to fidget. "Y-you like it?"

Nodding, she laughed, spinning around the room. For what seemed like hours, the two chatted like old friends, bringing back memories of when the two were younger and how played together when their parents used to catch up on the weekends. The small room filled with laughter, especially when the two started to experiment with the various musical instruments that were strung across the room, the two swapping between accompanying and singing for the other.

After a while, they both paused, looking into each other's eyes, wide smiles adoring both their faces. Sammy slide closer to Jay, nudging him with her wind. "You have a beautiful voice, Jay. You should do solo more often." The young bird giggled again as her friend tried to hide his embarrassment. Sighing, she lay down, looking up at the ceiling in thought. "Why did we ever stop doing this? You know… hanging out, making music together…."

"Those were the days," he remarked, joining her on the floor. "Do you remember the time I escaped to your place, after my brothers decided to curl my fur as a joke? Or the time we decided that when we were older we would be pirates and go in search for the perfect song?"

Sammy tried to supress a snort, the memories, even now, as funny as it was years before. "I wish that life was still like that, you know, all the time."

"Me to," Jay admitted, before realisation dawned on him, as he sat back up. "…but it can't. We both know that."

That remark broke the light-hearted mood, replacing it with a sober tone, the two friends knowing all too well the reality of that dream. It had started when all the adults disappeared, and the Sour Kangaroo became their leader, splitting everyone into their separate groups as part of a new regime to keep peace and order in the difficult times. With these new rules in place, and with the addition of an extra agreement between Sour and the Wickershams, Jay and Sammy's two families never came into contact with each other. It was especially hard for Jay to deal with, not really having much in common with his brother, and also with the added fact of his secret crush on Sammy.

"Who says that we can't still be friends?"

Jay's eyes went wide, hearing Sammy's voice. "You know, you don't always have to be who your brothers want you to be. They don't own you, Jay." Sitting up, her voice grew determined. "If you want to be a musician, then be one! We shouldn't be limited by our older siblings. They need to understand that the only way they can ever understand us is for us to be able to be ourselves, without pressure from them."

"We should make a promise," she suddenly said, putting her hand on her heart simular to when they had made oaths in their childhood. "To always stay true to ourselves, and to never try and change who we are to follow the crowd." Spitting into the tip of her wing feathers, she held it out to the monkey. "You promise?"

Slowly, Jay did the same, shaking his own paw with the bird. "I promise. Now, can we please stop with the serious stuff? You're reminding me of Sour!"

A smile returning to her face, Sammy did as she was told. "Sure. Hey, I have an idea! We should-"

Their moment alone was cut to a halt, Jay hearing his two brother's voices coming closer to ear level. Knowing that they would have a fit if they saw him with one of the Bird Girl's, let alone what the kangaroo would do to him if she found out, Jay started to panic. "Sammy, you have to get out of here! Quickly, go out that side window! My brothers won't see you that way."

Quietly, Sammy went to the window, while Jay set everything back its normal place, before he sat back down, ready to act as if the past three hours hadn't happened. "Jay!" Sammy shout-whispered to him, her head poking out from the other side of the window. "Thank you for today. Hopefully we can see each other again sometime." Blowing him a kiss, she silently slipped out the window.

_Why does she have to be so dreamy?_ Jay's face had gone almost fully red, in an absolute daze of love. Luckily for him, it quickly subsided, as his brothers came into the room.

"Hey Chase. Kyle. What's up?" he asked them, pretending to be figuring out lyrics, like he always did when his brothers came into his space uninvited. Mentally, he prepared for the usual outcomes, the most likely being the two snooping at his work, or in Kyle's case- using his sheet music as paper planes. Surprisingly, nothing happened, the two monkeys only staring at Jay with blank expression.

"Come. Now."

Those were the only words Chase told his brother, before they both vanished amongst the trees, soon becoming figures in the distance. "Guys! Wait for me! Where are we going?" Jay tried to ask them, struggling to keep up with his brothers. Soon after, Chase grinded them all to a halt in a darker area of the jungle.

As he continued to pant, Jay gave his brothers a strange look. "Will any of you tell me what's going on? Why are we here?"

"We need to talk to you, Jay," Kyle told him, his voice not as happy as its usual tone. "It's something that we have wanted to talk to you about for a long time."

Putting his arm around his younger brother's shoulders, Chase sighed, before continuing from where Kyle left off. "Jay, when the rest of our family disappeared, your brother and I, we made a vow. A vow that no matter what, we would always be there for you, we would never leave you alone in the dark, and that we would never abandon you, or lead you down the wrong path. We're family, and if our blood is in danger, we will do anything to protect it."

Kyle nodded. "This is the reason why we joined Sour, so that we could stay together. To make sure that you don't get hurt, or your heart doesn't get broken."

"Heartbroken? What do you mean?" Jay asked, worried to hear what would come next, especially if it involved Sammy.

His brothers shrugged, before Chase let him go. "What we are trying to say is that what we do isn't something that you should try and not be. We are just having some innocent fun, that's all. What's wrong with taking a few risks or wanting to be popular?"

"So, what do you say, little brother?" Kyle asked him, sincerely. "Are you willing to take the pact and be a Wickersham?"

Jay turned to both his brothers, deep in thought. He had never seen them this sincere before, and now, he could see where they were both coming from. This decision could mean that finally, he could feel like he belonged in this family. "You betcha."

As Kyle ruffled his fur, Chase smiled, giving him a supportive nudge on the shoulder. "You made the right choice, Jay. But now, it's time for you to prove yourself, and we have the perfect way."

"The best trick ever, and best of all, it'll get Sour off our back for a few weeks!" Kyle cheered, before he leaned into his brother's face. "You think you're up to it?"

"Just a quick question, but what exactly is this job?"

"Let's just say…it involves that flower that Horton keeps." Chase whispered to him. "Sour says that he's been living the easy life for way too long and that someone needs to teach him a lesson, or in similar terms; make his life go haywire!"

Jay started to fidget, nerves beginning to show. "What are you going to do?"

Kyle shook his head, chuckling. "You mean what WE are going to do with them. Don't worry, Jay. Stop acting all scared! You're not chicken, are you?" The monkey soon began to make hen noises in his brother's ear, which made him want to slap his sibling in the face to shut him up.

"No, I-I'm not chicken!" Jay retorted, brushing him away. "I-I just don't want any violence, that's all…"

Chase laughed. "Seriously, Jay…who do you take us for? That's not our style, and you know it!" He put his hand out, Kyle soon after putting his on top of it. After a second wait, Jay put his hand in, ready and eager.

"Yeah!"

"There's a rustle in the bushes. There's a tremble in the trees," Chase sang, his ears picking up a conversation of interest nearby. "Hear it like a whisper, smell it on the summer breeze."

"Mm-hmm!" Kyle and Jay agreed, following him.

"Somethin' big is getting nearer," Kyle continued. "Somethin' big is comin' through. Got some monkey business-"

"That's what we intend to do," Chase and Jay joined him, splinting into different harmony parts, before coming back together to create a dance routine high up in the branches. "Come on! I wanna monkey, monkey around. Come on! I gotta monkey, monkey around. Come on! We're gonna monkey. Ooh, we're gonna monkey around! Ooh!"

Soon after, the brother spotted their two targets below them, and cunningly descended down to the jungle floor, ready to strike. Not aware of the chaos that awaited them, the two targets, who were none other than Horton and Kirsty, continued on, both deep in conversation.

"So, you still don't know how or why you got a cat's tail of all things?" Horton asked her, his trunk tightly gripping the clover. "Why did you even have to take the pills in the first place?"

As she shrugged, Kirsty continued to walk forward, not looking where she was going. "I told you, I don't know…if I knew, I probably wouldn't be in this predicament in the first place-"

Suddenly, she froze, noticing she had just bumped in someone. Kirsty slowly looked up, to find Chase looking back at her, while Horton shook nervously behind them.

"Well, well, well…" Chase said, with a cheeky grin upon his face. "If it isn't the girl who tried to stand up to the Sour Kangaroo that day in May? We never got to properly introduce ourselves, did we, boys?"

Immediately, Kyle and Jay jumped down from their branches. "The Wickershams… uh, hello," Horton tried to appear assertive, however that was short lived.

"Well, it's bigger than a breadbox," Kyle observed, the brothers beginning to circle the nervous pair.

"Mm-hmm!" Chase and Jay laughed.

"Hey, it's wider than a whale!" Chase agreed, poking Horton in the stomach.

"Mm-hmm!" his younger siblings added.

"Peanut butter breath!" Jay exclaimed.

"And scared to death from head to tail!" they all sang, before they started to move their attention to Kirsty, who was quivering at this stage.

Chase put an arm around her, getting a little close for comfort. "So you're still talking to dust, oh, that's hot!" Chase laughed.

"A dust speck that's all full of Whos who are not!" Jay told her, going on her other side.

"There aren't any Whos. Why, I don't hear a sound!" Kyle stated, facing her directly and staring straight into her eyes.

The monkey looked to each other, just as Chase disappeared back into the above greenery. "Come on! We've gotta monkey... Monkey around!" they all sang, as Chase suddenly appeared above Horton, who was distracted by the two remaining brothers, and snatched the clover right out of Horton's grasp.

They took off, without another word, leaving Kirsty and Horton in shock. When Horton realised what had just happened, Kirsty hopped onto his back as he chased after them. "Hey! Give that back! Stop!"

A little way ahead, the music transitioning, the three brothers were celebrating the first completion of their job. At the centre of the excitement was Jay, until he saw a flash of yellow in the distance, Sammy and the rest of the Bird Girls coming into view. Her words slowly came back into his mind, the promise he had made, which quickly got shoved back, the young monkey too busy- though at this stage it would be more correct to say he was slightly worried-to face any consequences of his clearly made choice.


	15. Chapter 14: Chasing a Bit of Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from.” — Cormac McCarthy

**Chapter 14: Chasing A Bit of Luck**

The strong wind in their faces, Horton continued to chase after the Wickershams, Kirsty steady on his back, holding on for dear life.

"I should've expected something like this," Horton panted, trying to keep his eyes of all three Wickershams, who were flying through the treetops overhead. "Don't worry- we won't go down without a decent fight!"

Soon enough, the other animals of Nool came out of their homes, interested in this new spectacle. While some remained silent, other laughed or cheered the Wickersham's on- this kind of one sided face was perfect midday entertainment.

On the roof of their treetop house, the Bird Girls watched the spectacle from afar. Tayla got out her binoculars, while her older sister Mellissa watched on, not so keenly interested in the action. "Those stupid monkeys are at it again. What kind of trick are they playing at this time? Did we really have to come up to the roof and watch? We had a perfect, and much more sensible view from the window."

Tayla groaned, her sister's complaints never exciting her. After a short moment, she looked down at her youngest sister, Sammy, who was sitting away from the group on a lower branch. "Sammy, what is with you this afternoon? This kind of high heights, daredevil spy stuff is usual right up your alley." Looking down at the sixteen metre drop below, Tayla's stomach quivered and her green feathers shook. "You know heights aren't my thing…"

"Uh, Tay…you do realise we're birds, right?" Melissa raised an eyebrow, looking up from her magazine at her sister with an odd expression. "Heights are generally our forte."

"You get what I mean!" she replied, exasperated. "The point is that the only reason I got up on this rickety, old roof was to try and cheer my depressed, grumpy little sister up! Look, she isn't even giving me a weird warlike pinch like she usually does when I talk about her like she isn't there…" Frustrated, Tayla went back to her binoculars, occasionally calling out random commentary lines.

Sighing, Melissa looked down at Sammy, who had been ignoring the sisterly conversation for the past six minutes.  _It's not easy when you get hurt, sis. Let's just hope you find a way to repair the bond, or if it comes to it…just let it all go._

Through all of this, the Sour Kangaroo had been watching on from the edge of a cliff face, having a panoramic view over the situation. As she stood proudly, looking very pleased with herself, a new up-tempo beat started up, the jungle coming alive very similar to that fateful day in May.

"Up out of the jungle, up into the sky," the Sour Kangaroo sang. "Up over the mountains…"

"Ten thousand feet high," the Bird Girls joined in, their subconscious musical instinct coming into full force.

"Then down from the mountains," the Sour Kangaroo narrated, her paw pointing straight out to Mount Nool, which was clearly visible against all the much smaller hills.

"And into the news," the Bird Girls added.

"Went Horton the Elephant…Chasing the Whos!" The jungle animals joined in with the Kangaroo and the Bird Girls to form one massive chorus, the entire jungle now in on the action.

Meanwhile, on a far side of the jungle, an incoming musical number was the least of Kirsty's worries, with the Wickershams now teasing Horton with the clover, like the lives of the Whos were just some kind of sideshow game to them. Unfortunately, their distractions only continued to escalate, a wiring sound now present above their heads. Kirsty squinted up to the sky, an odd shaped helicopter flying above them, and inside sat the same reporter from the 'Biggest Blame Fool' event.

_Oh great…it's this guy again. Can't people just find someone else to talk about?!_

The reporter looked down at them, microphone in hand. "This is Raphael Pulitzer, live from Skycam Five," he yelled, his voice sending pulsing currents through Horton and Kirsty's ears. "Folks, the Jungle of Nool is one heck of a drive! We've got monkeys backed up to the three-oh-two; I'd find alternate routes if I were you!"

As they flew off, Horton noticed he was drastically losing speed, the Wickershams now into the distance. Quickly, he stopped, turning to Kirsty. "Kirsty!" he yelled to her. "I'll take the short cut to the mountains. You catch up with the Wickershams. Use your tail; you'll be able to overtake them!"

"What?!" Kirsty exclaimed. "I don't even know how to use my-" Her sentence was interrupted, as Horton threw her off his back and up into a tree. Quickly, she managed to hook her tail around a branch. "Horton, I-"

Horton shook his head, as he began to speed off down another park. "Just go! I'll find you soon!" Only giving a nod in response, Kirsty began to swing herself- although she believed 'almost killing yourself' was a better way to describe her attempt- through the foliage of the jungle, while the rest of the animals continued on.

"Then over the desert, The Desert of Dreze!" the citizens of the jungle sang. "And into the forest with thousands of trees. Past Sneetches on beaches…"

"And sour kangaroos!" the Sour Kangaroo added.

"Went Horton the Elephant…chasing the Whos!" they all sang, Chasing the Whos!"

Right near the edge of the jungle, the monkey brothers collapsed in a heap, both exhausted yet laughing their heads off.

Kyle was the first one to stand back up, now leaning against a tree. "Did you see their faces? It was priceless!" His eyes moved into the distance, no figure in sight. "Where do you think they ended up, Chase? You saw them back there; they were finished!"

"They're smarter than they look," Chase responded, the clover now stored nicely in his fedora. "If they weren't, Sour wouldn't be wasting her, or our, time with them." Getting the clover out of his hat, he looked it over. "Why would they be so caught up about this silly, little flower anyway? Kangaroo's right; this must be part of some elaborate scheme to break the peace."

Kyle turned over to Jay, who was now keeping watch. "Hey, Jay! Don't worry about them; they'll never find us. Besides, the only creatures fast enough to even keep us in their sights would be-"

Suddenly, a figure crashed through the leaves ahead, landing hard on the rocky ground below. Slowly, they stood back up, angry and determined.

"Please, hand us back the clover. You have no idea what you are dealing with."

Slightly shocked, and a patch of intimidation strung across their faces, the Wickershams took a bit longer to recover from Kirsty's sudden entrance.

"Still chasing your dust?" Chase asked, breaking the silence. "Why it's safe as can be."

"We're monkeys to trust! Or don't you agree?" Kyle laughed, catching the clover from Chase.

As his brother reversed back, Jay took it from him. "Well, just to be sure, we are handing it off..."

"To a black-bottomed eagle named…" all three Wickershams told her, now surrounding her. As they did, Jay held out his arm over the cliff face, almost ready to drop it.

"Vlad Vladikoff!" shouted a voice, which incidentally belonged to the eagle just described. However that description didn't do the bird any justice, his feathers, claws and scar covered face giving him the fear level of a ferocious beast. Instantly, he grabbed the clover and flew off towards the mountains, a vile laughing now echoing through the jungle.

Kirsty gasped, before she started to run in the direction "No! Please! Wait!" However, before she could even get a metre away, two pairs of furry hands grabbed her by the waist and pulled her up.

"Don't think you're gonna say goodbye to us that easily!" Chase whispered to her, as his brothers kept a good hold around her. "We haven't even started with the fun!" Quickly, them zoomed off towards the mountains, Kirsty now in their clutches.

The sky now a much darker blue, the sun almost beginning to set, the music continued on. "All that late afternoon and far into the night," the Bird Girls sang, now closer to the action. "That black-bottomed bird flapped his wings in fast flight, and he paid no attention to Horton's loud call:"

Horton was now much closer to the clover, almost a few metres away from Vlad. "A person's a person no matter how small!" Horton's voice echoed throughout the jungle, yet remained unanswered.

Almost right on top of Horton, the Wickershams were racing on a hidden, upper mountain path, Kirsty still squirming to escape. "Oh, wish to leave the party so soon?" Kyle taunted. "If you really wish to go, how about an exit in style!"

On the nod of Chase, the two younger monkeys threw he across the path, right into the path of the incoming eagle. Upon release, Kirsty suddenly screamed, not from the drop below, but from the electric pain that was now going through her body.

_This is exactly like the time before I got the tail…Oh, god…What's happening to me?!_

Like an old-time film reel, an image was slowly being formed in her mind, this time of Whoville. Everything and everyone was being jerked from side to side, with every sudden movement of their clover creating an even bigger shockwave through the city.

"We're Whos here! We're all Whos here! Please don't let us fall!" they begged. "We're Whos here. We could bruise here! Helpless, weak and small!"

Almost immediately after their voices ceased, Kirsty snapped out of her trance, at a much needed time, as she was almost at the edge of the mountain's edge. Seeing what looked like a thick branch, Kirsty grabbed hold of it, only to find it was in fact an eagle's leg.

Feeling something dragging him down, he looked to his feet, only to find a now nervous creature hanging for dear life off it. "Ahh! What in the- Get off me!" Confused and annoyed, he scratched her with his foot, causing her to release her grip, the girl now falling.

"Anyone request an elephant?" a voice yelled to her, and just before she would have met her uncertainly death, Horton came and caught her with his trunk, carefully placing Kirsty back on his back. "Come on, let's go get Whoville!" Ignoring the now fierce pain in her arm, she gave him a small smile, the pair continuing up the mountain even more determined, their speed increasing.

The sun was now very close to setting, and as it did, the chorus started to increase the climax. "On Horton travelled and on that bird flew," all the Whos and jungle creatures sang , as the chase made its way up to the peak of Mount Nool. "And, oh, there was trouble, trouble on Who! That black-bottomed eagle was cruel as could be..."

Hearing this slightly stereotypical remark, Vlad looked down at the jungle and screeched at them, showing his fierce, razor teeth. Scared out of their wits, the jungle creatures, including the Bird Girls scurried off and hid, not wanting to be a course on his breakfast buffet.

Horton panted, now at the utmost peak of the mountain, the pair stopping as they saw the bird, now flying in mid-air. Seeing the bird's beak, where the clover was now being held, twitch slightly, the elephant's eyes going wide, now realising what was going to happen. "'Cause at six fifty-six, Vlad Vladikoff dropped it. The clover went tumbling and nobody stopped it!" Horton exclaimed. "And head over heels, one hundred miles down, fell the poor little Whos and their whole tiny town!"

Time seemed to grind towards a halt, the moment that Vlad eventually loosened his grip on the clover. Horton and Kirsty rushed to the tip, their front limbs desperately trying to even lay a finger on the clover. The Whos screamed, their protector's efforts in vain, as their planet began to fall. Unexpectedly- though Kirsty did have slight suspicion of this- the entire scene and its characters froze in position, and a spotlight came up on Kirsty, the music even halting.

The girl in question sighed, putting a hand to her head.  _It's at time like this when I wish I knew how to curse._ "You can't be serious…" Kirsty muttered to herself, pacing around the now paused situation, before yelling out to the heaven. "No way I am going to sing another one of your pre-planned musical numbers! You should all know by now that I can't sing, at least not a solo!" A sigh escaped her mouth for the second time that day, as Kirsty reviewed her decision. It looked as though there was no alternative but to go along with it, and she would rather give in to the world than stand here forever talking to herself like a mad person. "Well, here goes…" At that moment, the area lit up , and some light bouncy music began to play.

"When the news is all bad, when you're sour and blue," she sang, the world's musical orientated mind now in control of her voice and body. "When you start to get mad, you should do what I do…"

"Aaah!" the Whos screamed in the distance, slight unfreezing.

Slightly shock, she was forced to hold in her pain. "Tell yourself how lucky you are." Kirsty continued, as she climbed down onto a lower ledge. "When your life's going wrong, when the fates are unkind, when you're limping along and get kicked from behind... tell yourself how lucky you are."

"Aaah!" Whoville screamed again, falling a few more feet down into the abyss.

"Why decry a cloudy sky an empty purse a crazy universe? My philosophy is simply things could be worse!" She paused, hearing a seemingly international clap of thunder. At this signal, she was drowned with water, the small, cold droplets piercing her wound.

Now incredibly irked, she had to try even harder to keep a straight, solemn, yet cheery image. "So be happy you're here. Think of life as a thrill! And if worse comes to worse, as we all know it will, thank your lucky star you've gotten this far... and tell yourself how lucky you are! How lucky, how lucky, how lucky, how lucky, how lucky you are!" Kirsty finished, the teenager now back in the position she had before she was frozen. As the song concluded, the lights disappeared and the scene came back into real time, along with the current situation of the Whos.

A cruel laugh could be heard overhead, as Vlad flew off, another from the edge of the jungle, where the Kangaroo was celebrating a much needed success, the Wickershams standing next to her.

Her head remained high, as she observed the elephant and his friend, still standing speechless at the edge of the cliff. "Well done, monkeys. You've proved your worth this time around." As the brothers started to cheer, she let out a harsh cough. "Though, I specifically remember telling you that if you ever got hold of the odd creature that you would bring it to me…"

"We were just having a bit of fun, Kangaroo!" Chase told her, trying his hand at charming her. "We just wanted them to learn a lesson. They won't be leaving our sights for very long, not with that flower stuck in that field."

Kyle laughed. "Yeah, it will take them years to even get close to it. No…it will take them DECADES!"

As the brothers made their way back to their home, the Kangaroo's joey Felix hopped out from his mother's pouch. "Mamma, why do you want the strange creature?" he asked his mother.

His mother continued to look out to the distance, taking a deep breath in. "It is nothing to worry about, Felix. Just a…little problem that Mummy has to sort out. Now, back into your pouch!" Even though he was confused by his mother's worried tone of voice, he went back in his pouch, not wanting to see the tail end of an argument, as the family bounced back into the jungle.

The mountains that surrounded the jungle were completely silent, as if they were in grief, as Horton, ears drooping, began to observe the situation.

"That bird let that clover drop somewhere inside of a great patch of clovers, one hundred miles wide!" Horton said, sadly, the field almost the size of the entire jungle itself. As Kirsty made her way over to him, he grew a sense of drive. "We'll find it… we'll find it! We'll find it or bust! We shall find our friends on their small speck of dust."

His friend nodded, now sitting on the edge of the mountain. "Yes… clover by clover by clover with care. We'll listen and we'll call… "

"Are you there? …. Are you there?..."


	16. Chapter 15: The Way I Notice You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There's a difference between beauty and charm. A beautiful woman is one I notice. A charming woman is one who notices me."- John Erskine

**Chapter 15: The Way I Notice You**

"How many clovers do you think there are in total? There has to be at least a million…"

As she observed their latest problem, which came in the form of a field of identical pink fuzzy flowers, she noticed her friend was still lagging behind her. Pausing, she started to move over to him, her stride quickening when his legs started to wobble.

"Sit down," Kirsty told him, the girl now right beside him. "Let me have a look at you. Close your eyes if you really want to. Have a rest, please."

Horton pushed her away, standing back up again. "I'm fine," Horton told her, but as he started to walk, that claim was completely shut down, the elephant wincing and ungracefully falling back to the ground. His trunk wrapped itself around his left leg, which was covered with bruises, scratches and blisters, the pain together with his fatigue too much for him to deal with. "Maybe I could sit down for a little bit, just to catch my breath…"

Without a word, Kirsty went down of her knees, investigating the damage. As she did, Horton gasped. "Kirsty! Your…your arm! It's-"

"-not as painful as it looks," Kirsty quickly responded, getting out a large handkerchief from her bag, trying it around the elephant's foot. With every movement of her arm, she had to supress a tear, the wound now bleeding across her arm. "Stay still."

As his friend continued to tend to him, Horton couldn't help but stare at the clover field. "Even so, you have to look after yourself. I'll help you look for the clover. I have to. It's my-" He was silenced by Kirsty, who sharply put a finger to her lips, wishing to concentrate. "Are you sure you'll be okay to search without me? You need sleep to."

"I'll be fine. It's you I'm most worried about. " Kirsty stood back up and stepped a few steps away, reviewing the covering, which she had tied together with some hard leaves and moistened with some dew. "Not exactly to the book, but I think it should do. Finally all those years of reading that first aid book have come in handy!"

Quickly, she raced to her bag, getting out her jacket, and placing it over the elephant, along with the blanket she had been given from Horton. "I know it's not much, but it should it keep you from catching a cold."

Horton looked at her, eyes half closed. "Don't drain yourself. You need to make sure you get some sleep, understand?" Seeing the girl nod slightly, it gave him some relief, even though he knew that simply nodding didn't guarantee she would listen to his pleas. Slowly, his eyes closed fully, and within a few minutes, he was sound asleep, his light snoring filling the air.

Meanwhile, Kirsty was looking out to the horizon, the sun just beginning to set, stars above now almost visible. She picked up a clover and looked back to Horton, her friend's peaceful slumber growing her determination.  _I told him I would look for the clover. I have to find it…for Horton's sake. I have to…I just have to…_

* * *

A soft pushing against her stomach broke Kirsty from her shortly lived rest, her face immediately meeting with one of an elephant's.

"I'm sorry to wake you, but you were counting in your sleep…" Horton chuckled, helping the girl to her feet. "I think you were up to three thousand, nine hundred and seventy six, was it?"

Nodding, she replied, before trying to pick out the clover fluff from her ponytail. "That seems about right." After the final fluff had been pulled, her eyes and attention moved back to Horton. "How are you feeling?"

"Great, actually. My leg's still sore, but I think it's more from the running than anything." His head now almost at lips distance away from her, Horton looked her straight in the eyes. "How many hours did you sleep?"

Doing a quick calculation in her head, Kirsty answered, with a straight face. "Seven, roughly."

Horton stepped back a few feet, shrugged, and went back to the mass of clovers, without any questioning or comments. Relieved, she grabbed her jacket from where Horton had been sleeping and made her way over to the border of the jungle and the mountain area.  _I hate lying to him, but I just need to keep him positive. Anyway, after a quick trip to Who, I bet we'll find the clover in no time!_

"Kirsty! There you are!"

Hearing her name, the teenager spun around, only to be met by Gertrude, who was lowly flying towards her. "So, what do you think of the 'new, improved' Gertrude? Sammy, Melissa and Tayla did such a good job, don't you think?"

Kirsty tried to reply to her friend, but no words could be used to describe the young bird's tail, which was now six metres longer. "Wow!" she managed to spit out. "It certainly is impressive!"

"I know, isn't it just!" Gertrude let out a little squeal, before gasping, remembering something. "But what about your tail? Has it happened yet?"

Rolling her eyes, Kirsty sighed. "It's happened alright." Without another word, she turned to reveal her new tail, which seemed to give a small wave to the now stunned bird whose eyes were glued to it. "Anyway…what brings you over here?"

Gertrude quietly scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. "Horton, of course! Today is finally the day where I will tell him how I really feel about him. With this new tail, this Gertrude isn't holding back! This time, he will have no other option but to notice me."

"Gertrude, he does notice you. He just needs a little time," Kirsty told her. "Besides, is this direction really where you should be going with this? Can't he just learn to love you for you? That's seems more sensible."

Looking back at her friend, she could see that Gertrude wasn't listening to a word she was saying, her mind fully made up. "Okay, this is the moment…" Gertrude whispered to herself, gearing up. She turned back to Kirsty, striking a pose. "So, how do I look?"

"'Amayzing'," Kirsty smile a small smile in Gertrude's direction, the bird immediately dragging her into a hug.

As she let her go, Gertrude's mood grew hopeful, the bird taking slow, deep breaths in and out. "Well, I'd better be off. Wish me luck!" The young bird quickly flew off to the direction of Horton, while Kirsty stood in silence, her necklace now in her hands.

_Please be alright, Whoville…I don't need any more things to worry about…_

Within a second, Kirsty disappeared in silence, now on her way to Who. Meanwhile, Gertrude was now almost a metre from Horton, the bird filled with butterflies as she watched him.

"It's taken all my courage to approach you, not to mention all my stamina to follow you across the hills and deserts…" Gertrude quietly sang, her steps towards Horton only small. "But I feel as if I'm ready to confess to you the feelings that I've hidden with great diligence and labour..."Taking a deep breath in, calming her nerves, she continued. "Behind the façade of your odd little next-door neighbour."

Instantly, a soft, romantic tune began to play in the background, as Gertrude moved ever so closer to him, her tail flowing light behind her. "My eyes are too small. I have very large feet. And I'm not very proud of my pitiful tweet." Her voice cracked a little, which caught Horton's attention away from the clovers for the second, but was short lived. "But I've now got a tail that is something to see..." She did a little spin and struck a pose the minute Horton's head lifted back in, praying that he would see her.

Unfortunately, it was not to be, Horton's eyes firmly set on the two clovers in his trunk. "Four thousand and two. Four thousand and three," Horton counted, sadly, throwing the clovers behind him into Gertrude.

"Oh, notice me, Horton, feather by feather," Gertrude continued, moving over to Horton's right side. "This is your next-door neighbour calling! Notice me, Horton….Horton, together we could be great!" Her voice grew louder, now growing anxious. "Oh, notice me, Horton, put down the clover! This is your next door neighbour calling. There's a new leaf your neighbour's turned over."

"Over and over, Clover by clover..." Horton sang over the top of her, hardly even noticing.

The two now stood almost back to back, both to different people. "I was just a no one only yesterday. You showed up and showed me something more. Now I've become a someone, who has someone to believe in and to be there for..." Horton quickly went back to his searching, still not seeing Gertrude.

That gesture caused her whole heart to fall, the girl now moving away from the elephant. "I will not give up hope," she sang softly, quietly determined. "I was hooked from the start, when I noticed your kind and your powerful heart." She looked back to Horton, tears starting to form in her eyes. "So notice me, Horton..."

"Oh, the world would be something new…" Horton looked into the distance, his hope also fading.

Gertrude was now begging, on the brink of breaking down. "Notice me, Horton,"

"If they noticed a thing or two..."

"Notice me, Horton…."

"The way I notice you," they both sang, the music fading away into lost optimism. Even after the music had gone, Gertrude stood, quietly gazing at Horton, the elephant continuing to stare at the flowers as if nothing had happened, before taking off, a thin crack now present in her large heart.

* * *

Many hours later, with one last gigantic yawn, Horton stepped away from one of the several large pink piles, completely drained. Five thousand clovers search through at that point in the evening, and it has all been in vain, Whoville still no closer to being found. Another thing that was also not in his reach was Kirsty, the girl still not back since her departure that very morning. Just when he was about to go in search of her, he heard a large thump from behind, and a rough panting.

"Hort…Horton."

No noise came from Horton's mouth, as he saw Kirsty, now standing, shivering violently in front of him. Her eyes were darker than usual, large rings around them, and an abundance of tears were flowing from them like streams onto her grey washed face. Immediately, his eyes drifted to the arm where her wound was, the sight shocking him, the injury much larger and aggressive that it have been only a few hours ago.

"Kirsty! Talk to me!" he demanded, yet in a calming voice. "What did you do?"

The air was filled with her quiet breathing, until her voice finally answered. "I went back to Who. Everything's in ruins. A few have been injured, but no one has died…" Out of the blue, she let out a small scream, now sobbing into her hands. "They…they sent me there…I had to tell her…It wouldn't have been right to keep lying to her…

Horton raised an eyebrow, now even closer to his friend. "Kirsty, you're not making any sense. Why are you like this? Where did who supposedly send you?

She remained quiet for a moment, the teenagers just shaking her head. "The Mayor, he sent me to…the military academy." Kirsty said, her voice on the brink of breaking, as the entire moment flashed back to her, while she began to tell Horton everything.

* * *

" _Dear, please!"_

_Mrs Mayor slowly made her way up to her daughter's room, her husband and her daughter's tutor still sitting silently. It had all meant to be a civil discussion- they had decided to tell their daughter the news of her enrolment a few days after being notified by the General- however, as expected, it had ended with her husband raising it voice, causing her teenage daughter to run up to her room, slamming the door behind her._

" _You shouldn't have yelled at her like that," Mrs Mayor had told the politician, who now had his head in his hands. "Look at you, you're regretting it already. You should go and talk to her, sort everything out…apologise even."_

_The Mayor shook his head. "She wouldn't listen to me. You're better at this 'parent' with her than I ever will. Would you talk to her, please?"_

_Straitening her skirt, his wife sighed, as she made her way up the stairs. "Okay, but you will have to learn how to deal with these situations eventually."_

_When she ended up at her daughter's room, her lace gloves tightly gripping the door handle, she opened the door slightly, enough to see inside. Kirsty was now standing at the balcony, her face away from the door._

_"_ _Kirsty? May I come in?" She received no response, which in one way, was a positive. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. We shouldn't have kept your enrolment in the academy a secret from you. Your father…he just didn't know how to break it to you. He has your best interest in heart, and so do I; we just have different ways of showing it." Stepping away from the door and closer to her daughter, a kind, forgiving smile tried to show on the woman's face. "We wish it didn't have to be like this, and that there was another option, but unfortunately, there isn't. But we will get, there…I am sure we will, and someday, we can be the perfect-"_

_Kirsty sniffed, before cutting Mrs Mayor off. "Please don't say that word. I know you want to say that, but please…don't. We will never be like everyone else, and it is my entire fault."_

" _Dear, don't be silly. How is it your fault?" Mrs Mayor asked her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "What have you done that is so bad?"_

" _I'm not your daughter, that's what. I never was, and I never will be."_

_Those words struck_ _her the mother like a tonne of bricks, so much so that part of her refuse to even accept that she had heard them. "Please, Kirsty. Don't be ridiculous. Now, would you please get dressed into something more suitable? We have to meet the General in less than an hour to discuss your rooming."_

_Kirsty turned back to Mrs Mayor, who was walking back towards the door. "I am serious! I'm…I'm a human!"_

_Mrs Mayor stopped, the final word making her continue to listen to the teenager, whose voice was now hushed. "_ _I arrived in this universe on the fifteen of May, in the Jungle of Nool. Somehow, after finding the clover, I ended up here, and got mistaken as your lost child. Now, I alternative between the two worlds, in secret. That's why I am always late home, and why I always look rushed and tired all the time, and why I don't understand half the work at school. It's because this is all so new to me, everything…especially…"_

_The word 'family' caught in her throat, she moved the conversation, taking out her necklace from underneath her jacket. "I use this necklace to travel between each of the words. I'm still not entirely sure how it works though…" Kirsty told her. "Before I came here, I was with Horton. He's still searching for the clover, after it got stolen by monkeys, and then by a large eagle, who then dropped it into a massive pile of clovers." Knowing Mrs Mayor still didn't believe her, she began to unzip her jacket._

" _Oh my goodness! How did you do that?" Mrs Mayor exclaimed, seeing the large gash marks that now covered her dominant arm._

_Looking at them as well, Kirsty's face grew anxious. "It wasn't this bad before…" she whispered, before quickly covering them up before Mrs Mayor could comment anymore. "I'm sorry I haven't been the perfect child you've always wanted. I wish I was, but I'm not. I just couldn't lie from you anymore. You deserve better that that."_

_Mrs Mayor sat herself down on the edge of the teenager's bed, her face visibly paler. The truth now sinking in, the woman put her hand to her mouth, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. Kirsty sat down beside her, now acting as a shoulder to cry on. The two didn't speak to each other, the silence in the room acting as the most appropriate reaction._

_"_ _Call me Helen."_

_Kirsty's head flashed up, hearing Mrs Mayor's gentle voice. she told her, just before she left the room. "Pardon?"_

" _Well, since you're not technically my daughter- although we should keep this private for professional reasons- I thought you should have the right to know my first name," she told the teenager, planting a light kiss on her forehead. "Alright, Kirsty?"_

_"_ _Okay…Helen…"_

* * *

Still shocked, Horton was now sitting down, while Kirsty remained standing. "What about Mr Mayor?" he asked her, turning his head so he could try and gain a view of her expression. "You know her deserves to know." When she didn't reply, he sighed, standing back up. "Kirsty? Are you listening?"

"What was I supposed to tell him?" she snapped, exasperated. "That his daughter is really a crazy, 'supernatural' creature who comes from an entirely different universe? He would never believe me! If I told him, his whole career would be in ruins, not to mention the media, and the council would have a field day…"

"Hey, take it easy," Horton told her, trying to calm her down. "I didn't mean it like that. And anyway, you don't how he would react. You're jumping to conclusion-"

Swiftly, Kirsty turned around, her eyes burning into Horton's. "For good reason! I have already messed up enough both here and in Who with all my Thinking, talking and just being here in the first place. I don't want to hurt anyone, or cause anyone any more grief! I…I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS!"

Horton staggered backwards, petrified by Kirsty's sudden outburst, especially the torture that her eyes were pouring out, even from just a quick flash towards him. Never before had he seen this side of her, the elephant now scared beyond belief. Kirsty, whose face had now changed to one of distress, tried to apologise, but froze, as her legs tired and overworked, trembled, and gave out from underneath her. Quickly, Horton caught her with his trunk, her thin body light enough for him to carry with ease. Within a few seconds, she fell asleep, her breathing slowing down.

_She's finally given in. I never expected her to last this long, what with not have that much to start with. But why…why did she have to lie to me?_

Softly, he laid her body down on a soft- and already searched through- pile of clovers, the girl now fully in a much needed recovery. His eyes now drifting to the star above his head, he closed his eyes, laying himself down next to his friend. Friend…that was a word that he hadn't used in a while. But what it really the right word to use for this girl, someone who was so different that anyone he had met before?

_Please…help Kirsty. She's already been through too much heartbreak in her life. Please…please don't make things worse for her…_


	17. Chapter 16: Just a Girl on the Wing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren't so busy denying them."-Harold J. Smith

**Chapter 16: Just A Girl On The Wing**

_The wind picks up, sand now swirling violently on the hard, dry ground, making it almost impossible to see anything. Two figures, two teenagers, appear through the dust, hunched, as to not to be spotted. They are young cadets, who had taken the risk to escape their prison in the form of an innocent military academy._

_"_ _Come on, we'll be safe through here."_

_The pair runs through what used to be a small town, filled with smiling faces and happy memories. Now it is just rubble, its buildings burnt or bombed from the endless battle they were fighting in. It is enough to make anyone feel petrified, but for these teenagers, it is a common sight._

_"_ _Are you sure about this, Jojo?"_

_"_ _I've never been surer in my life, Kirsty. We have to do this."_

_Suddenly, an enemy bullet flies straight towards them, almost hitting the boy. This triggers a mass of bullets from both sides, making it hard to move. The pair hides behind a steel building, now planning their next move through the cascade of enemy bullets._

_"_ _Shoot them!"_

_Jojo mutters a collection of curses under his breath, while Kirsty's eye is set firmly on the chaos around them. "_ _How on earth are we going to get passed this? How do we distract them?"_

_"_ _I've got it."_

_Reflex's sharp, Jojo pulls out a pistol from his coat and fires a shot into an old gas can, the barrel creating a massive explosion, and a perfect distraction. Instantly, the pair grabs hands and sneaks through the tunnel of smoke, fire and bullets, now safe in a small field, filled with tiny flowers._

_Relieved, Jojo looks up to the heavens, a huge smile across his face. "_ _We made it, Kirst! I can't believe that worked!"_

_Suddenly, the two are flooded with an increasing level of vibrations, small light flashing around them, indicating a minefield. With no time to react, the pair tries to run away, only for their vision to be blocked, the final words heard through the explosion shocking the girl._

" _Yes. You. Are."_

* * *

Kirsty gasped, harsh shaking awaking her from her rough sleep. The moment her eyes opened, she rapidly scanned her environment, but her heart slowed down when she saw Horton, who was right by her side, still shouting at her.

"Kirsty? Are you alright? You were talking in your sleep again."

It took her a few seconds for her to respond, her mind not entirely in the present. "Another one of my terrible habits…Don't worry, I'm okay. It was just a dream." Sitting up, she looked to her clothes, which were now a deep maroon. "What happened last night?"

"You collapsed, after hours of rushing around after people and world traveling," he reminded her, summarising a very complicate twenty four hours. "Though I don't know why your jacket is in such a state..."

Kirsty nodded, everything coming back to her. "That was from the world traveling. I almost ripped myself apart from over-Thinking. I'll be much more careful next time."

Smiling, Horton moved a little closer to her. "I'm glad. You scared me last night." A feeling of guilt soared through the teenager, not knowing how to apologise to the elephant. "Oh, well. As long as you are okay, that's all that matters." Standing back up, he went over to an untouched section of clovers, with Kirsty following a little way behind.

Looking at the sun, its rays almost blinding her, Kirsty quickened her stride. "What time is it?" A part of her had always wished that she could take the sun's position in the sky and translate it into the time, but she could never could see past it's radiant glow.

This talent was something Horton had always been able to do, as he quickly replied. "Just past ten thirty, judging from the position of the rays."

"How many clovers are we up to so far.?"

"Just past one million." The more he stared at the abundance of plants, the lower his head drooped in shame. "Why haven't I found them yet? I should have at least done that by now. They trusted me with their entire planet, for heaven's sake! They put their faith in me to protect them. Who knows what havoc their world is being put through because of my carelessness… I'm such a failure..."

Sighing, Kirsty lifted his head up. "A wise creature once promised me, when I felt like giving up, that he would always be there for me. Now it's my turn to help him." She picked up a nearby clover, placing it in his truck. "Alike to the words the same wise creature once spoke- I meant what I said, and I said what I meant... and I am saying that we are in this together, no matter what may happen"

He remained silent for a few minutes, trying to form words, but nothing seemed right. "You have been reading that big, old book of yours too much- you're getting wiser by the day." As the pair began to laugh, Horton returned the smile. "So, she can laugh? That's a surprise! Come on, we have a clover to search for! With this kind of attitude, we'll find them in no time!" With that, the two continued on, their spirits high.

Unfortunately, their high spirits weren't reflecting positive results. The statistics of ordinary clovers to the one that was the world of the Whos favoured only one side: the puffy, unoccupied plants. As the day went on, so did the heat, reaching over forty degrees Celsius. With each passing hour, the number signifying the amount of clovers they had sifted through increased, along with the worry which was starting to settle in. The heat didn't help, with the pair both showing signs of heatstroke; suffering from a headache and that nagging need to rehydrate. But they had to keep on going, desperation for that tiny world to be in their hands, the only fuel to their fire. Six hours after they first restarted their search, all hope seemed to have been evaporated from the sweltering sun.

"Two million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine," Horton counted, as he began to walk closer to the jungle, trying to find some shade from the sweltering heat. "It's hopeless," he sighed, dropping the clover in defeat. Kirsty slowly followed him, also ready to give up.

"You said it kid…"

The pair jerked to attention, the feminine, slightly irritated voice broke their rest. "Who's there?" Horton asked, picking up a nearby clover and putting it against his ear.

The voice groaned again, its volume raising. "It's me. Mayzie. Up here!" Horton glanced to a nearby tree above his head and sure enough, there was Mayzie, sitting on a nest with a rather large egg inside it.

"Mayzie?" Kirsty asked in complete disbelief, remembering the admired bird from when she convinced Gertrude to get her immense tail. The thought of the sociable bird even being near children was hard enough for her to believe- let alone her having her own!

Horton meanwhile, was having a little trouble comprehending what he was seeing, as he tried desperately to supress a laugh. "Are…are you on a nest?"

"Yeah. You wanna make something of it?" she responded, giving them a look of pure murder, which caused the pair to back-pedal, capitulating.

Shaking his head, Horton tried to explain himself. "No…we just never thought we'd see you on a nest."

Mayzie's shook her head, her mood changing from pestered to sober. "Neither did I, Hort…neither did I," she sighed, signally the entrance of a man, who came in on an extravagant red and white striped piano. After stretching his fingers, he began to play a typical blues tune.

"Da da da da da da da..." After scatting for a moment, getting her into the mood, she motioned for Kirsty and Horton to sit down, as she began to tell her tale. "I was down in Fort Worth, just a girl on the wing, when I met Tweet McFirth. Oh, could that fellow sing! Tell yourself how lucky you are!"

"How lucky, how lucky you are," the accompanist sang, his deep voice suiting the style of music.

Mayzie gave a flirtatious wave to the man, before going into the next part, adding in plenty of melodramatic actions. "It was three weeks of bliss, then the usual segue: He flew off to San Juan leaving me with this…" her voice dropped, the bird growling under her breath. "Egg! Tell yourself how lucky you are!"

"How lucky you are!" the man sang again.

"Now I'm bored and I'm cranky and tired sitting day after day," she sang, adding a few dramatic poses to reflect her appalling situation. "Who knew so much work was required? I'd much rather play!" At that, she smiled playfully to the pianist, who flashed her back a smile in reply. "I need a vacation! I'm due for some rest…" Suddenly, an idea came to her head, Mayzie's gave now firmly on Horton. "Hey, Horton…. would you maybe like to sit on my nest?"

His decision pending, the piano came to a standstill, Mayzie flirtatiously bashing her eyelashes towards the elephant, a typical action she used on males to get something she desperately desired.

Kirsty, who was utterly puzzled, especially on seeing Horton, who was incredibly smitten, his face turning pink. Not affected by Mayzie's charming ways, she stepped forward, now personally addressing the pink bird. "Why, Mayzie we couldn't. Of all silly things! We haven't got feathers and we haven't got wings. And not only that, but we're here on a search. We just couldn't leave our poor Whos in the lurch!"

Not expecting the girl to retaliate as she did, Mayzie put on a sweet face, not quite achieving the kittenish appearance. "I won't be gone long, guys. I give you my word. I'll hurry right back, 'cause I'm that sort of bird!" Getting desperate, her voice started to become squeaky. "Oh, come on guys, I promise! I'll fly back real soon. I'd only be gone for, say…one afternoon?" Her gave moved, a good dose of her notorious puppy-dog eyes making him blush again.

Kirsty sighed, frustrated by the girl's manipulative tactics. However, she knew that this was Horton's decision, and that she had no right to speak for him.

"Kirsty…"

The girl in question's ear pricked, hearing Horton's quiet call. Looking over to him, her confidence dropped, the elephant giving her a silent plea for assistance.

"I'm not sure if we should agree to this," Horton murmured to her, Mayzie's constant teasing making the decision even harder to make. "You told me that she was the one who 'convinced' you to get the pills. What if that was a warning?"

"Horton, she had no idea what would happen. She has no reason to be blamed." Kirsty put her hands behind her back, thinking it over. "I have a similar feeling, though part of me thinks that we should give her a chance. It would be a way for the both of us to have a break to freshen up for a few hours?"

"Sitting on an egg is a break?"

"All I am saying is that despite her mistake, and supposed reputation, everyone deserves a second chance. I know I am grateful for those who have given me a shot. And besides, it does beat the alternative- I don't think I want to see the bad side of Mayzie today."

"…good point."

After a short period of silence, Horton regained his composure, looking Mayzie straight in the eye. "Well, we all need vacations..." he said, silently debating his choice of words. Not long after, he shrugged, giving in. "All right go on, take it. We'll sit on your egg and we'll try not to break it. But please come back quickly. One hour, maybe two," Horton sternly reminded her, not doubts crossing his face.

"I need to find Jojo," Kirsty said aloud to herself, his fate still not known to her.

"We've just got to save a Who!" they pair told Mayzie in unison. An awkward silence dropped through the jungle, the anxious wait over when a smile crept onto Mayzie face, as she clapped her hands. On command, the accompanist lifted the lid of his piano, to where two small beings jumped out, rushing over to Mayzie's aid, helping her down the tree.

"Hit it, Antonio!" she exclaimed, a pair of large sunglasses and a movable pink trunk at her feet. Almost as excited as Mayzie, the man titled 'Antonio' leapt right into an energetic, Latin beat, the pair soon running off through the jungle. "Thanks! Thanks a million! Toodle-oooo!" she called back to her to her new egg-sitters, the bird and her guide soon out of sight, Antonio's assistants lagging behind them with the piano and Mayzie's extra luggage.

The moment they paused to have a rest, Mayzie's voice came back into reach, now in a demanding tone. "Boy! Hurry up; I'm going to miss 'Happy Hour' if you bozo's don't get your backsides into gear!" Frightened, the two quickly sped off, leaving only dust.

When they were all gone, Kirsty and Horton both looked to each other, the same expression of wonder and question their faces. They had no idea of the consequences of their decision, but one thing was clear:

With a new problem to deal with, the search for Who was now at a halt.

 


	18. Chapter 17: Caught in the Act

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.”– Martin Luther King

**Chapter 17: Caught In The Act**

"Hmm, how about this...?"

For the past ten minutes, Horton has been musing to himself, figuring how on earth to get up the rickety tree which now had to mind, the elephant now half way up it. Putting his foot onto a nearby branch, he wobbled, the brank quickly snapped. Shocked by the sudden lack of support, Horton teetered to one side, trying to grasp at another branch with his trunk. Kirsty, with snake-like reflexes, rushed to him and, by acting as an act of support, helped him to get high enough so he could sit awkwardly on the nest. "Maybe that is why elephants and tree don't get along…" he mumbled with embarrassment, his eyes full of gratitude toward his friend. Kirsty shook her head, laughing slightly and agilely climbed up the tree, using her tail for balance.

Suddenly, they heard a soft rustling coming from nearby. It turned out to be the Bird Girls, who had been hiding behind some foliage ease dropping. They came out of their hiding place, just as the jungle's beat started up again.

"Then carefully, tenderly, gently they crept. Up the trunk to the nest where the little egg slept," they sang. "Then Horton the elephant smiled:"

"Now that's that," he said firmly, now comfortably sitting in the nest with Kirsty right beside him, the egg in her hands.

"And they sat and they sat and they sat and they sat." The girls quickly left, leaving Kirsty, Horton and their egg alone. Soon after they left, Horton turned to his friend, whose gaze was placed on an insignificant point.

"They're taking me tomorrow."

At first, Horton had no idea what Kirsty was talking about, especially in that grave tone, until realisation hit him. "The military school," he whispered dejectedly. His friend nodded in reply, giving out a little sigh. "Oh, Kirsty. I'm so, so sorry. I thought you were joking when you said that."

"It's hard to believe, isn't it?" she said, exchanging a quick glance with him. "I never thought they would send me there. Another thing I failed at- staying out of trouble. Part of me still can't believe that I would be the first girl to be accepted there, after all; they do seem extremely 'man' orientated. Maybe I am such a threat to the community as they believe I am…"

_Or that the council has some involvement other than economic support with General Schmitz's school. I wouldn't be surprised if they did. They sure do have an awfully big imprint on Whoville for a city council…_

Hastily, to avoid any questions from Horton, she moved her attention to the egg in her hands. "Anyway, until I go to the academy, you should get some rest, get something, maybe even talk to Gertrude-" she paused to give him a meaningful look. Horton didn't catch on- "I don't care! Just relax, I'll look after the egg for you. No argument. "

"You never give up do you?"

Kirsty smiled at him, just as the Bird Girls re-appeared, in their hands delicate umbrellas. It was then the two of them noticed that many hours had passed and the weather had started to take a turn for the worse.

"They sat all that day and they kept the egg warm... And they sat all that night through a terrible storm…" the girls narrated, as the rain suddenly came down onto the jungle. All the creatures, including the Bird Girls, squealed, and ran for cover against the torrent of droplets, none offering Kirsty and Horton protection from the storm.

"We're cold and we're wet and we're catching the flu. Oh, Mayzie, please hurry! We've got to save Who! Oh, Mayzie, please hurry! We've got to save Who!" Horton and Kirsty lamented, trying their best to keep each from the water.

As the rain pelted down, Kirsty went to her bag and got out the cloak she had gotten from Horton, pulling it over her friend to cover him up from the rain. "Here you go," she told him. "We don't want you catching a cold."

A small smile appeared on Horton's face; looking at his friend, water slowly dripping from her hair, the light from the sunset reflecting off it like glass. "You know, Kirsty, I think you look really pretty in the rain."

That comment made her stop in her tracks. She remembered Jojo saying those same words to her, a few months ago. It reminded her of him, of how much she missed him. When she went into the academy, would he be the same as she remembered him to be, or would Schmitz have already made a dent on him? And how could she forget that…kiss?

While she had been thinking, Horton, realising what he had just said, started to stumble with his words. "Where did that come from? I just meant to say-" Seeing his friend was still staring at him, he started to wave his trunk in front of her eyes. "Kirsty? Are you alright? You're gazing off into space."

She quickly snapped out of trance, only giving him a small smile, before she moved closer to him, putting her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I just…I just realised that I am really going to miss moments like these…" she murmured.

Horton's smiled faded as he wrapped his trunk around her shoulders. "So will I, Kirsty. So will I…" the elephant murmured, watching her eyes slowly droop until they were shut. He didn't fall to sleep for a long time afterward, not wanting to let the morning come where he would have to say goodbye to Kirsty. And all during that time, he never took his eyes off of her.

* * *

The next morning, the rain drifted away and the sun rose over the mountains like a glowing orb, its heat bringing joy to all the jungle, except two creatures, who were feeling anything but happy. Kirsty looked out to Mount Nool, the peak dominating the horizon. A sickly feeling churned in her stomach. The day she had been dreading had finally arrived; her last day of freedom. She picked up her new uniform and hurried off to change into it.

_Poor kid. Just when we thought everything was starting to get better._

Horton watched her from the nest, noticing that his friend's face was expressionless. He wondered how she was feeling; he wished he could understand her emotions better. From when they had first met, Kirsty had always tried to keep her true self from anyone else. Unlike himself, she wasn't that easy to read. Even though she was getting better, she still was wary of other people and didn't like asking others for help, one of her flaws. "You okay?" he asked her, as she was fixing her jacket. When she didn't respond, he forced himself not to argue. Today was a big day for Kirsty; he didn't want to make it harder for her.

What Kirsty did do was clamber back up the tree, a small, glinting object in her hands. Horton bit his tongue so he didn't comment; she would speak when she was ready. Kirsty settled down next to her friend in the crown of the tree, before Horton settled his trunk on her shoulder in an encouraging sort of manner.

"Horton…" Kirsty whispered, turning to face him. "Can you do something for me?"

He nodded. "Anything for you, Kirsty. What is it you need me to do?" He tried to keep a positive attitude, smiling every so often, attempting to lighten the mood. She said nothing as she brought the metal object back into sight and placed it on her friend's lap. The smile wiped off Horton's face, his eyes studying the scissors. "What do you need these for?"

"I want you to cut my hair off."

Gasping, Horton passed the scissors back to her, shocked. He must have heard her wrong. "B-but why?" he stuttered.

She sighed, passing them back to him. "The council told me in a private meeting that I had to cut it so it was above my collar. They also said that if I didn't cut it, that they would personally shave it off. I don't want them to go near me, especially not near my hair, so I figured that you should be the one to cut it. Please Horton, please…"

After refusing many times, Kirsty finally convinced Horton to do it. With a shaky trunk, he managed to shorten, her new style half way up her collar. The moment he did, she felt the difference. Horton led her to a small stream of water right next to the tree, trying to avoid her gaze. It looked a bit scraggly and messy, but she assured him it looked fine. She would learn to get used to it eventually.

Horton looked his friend over one last time, now right below the nest. Without her long hair and her beautiful smile, she looked so sad, so frail, so…lost looking, not to mention even more like a male. "You look great," he said, his positive attitude wearing thin, almost ready to cry.

"It's okay, Horton," Kirsty told him, rushing up to him. "I'm going to miss you too." Pulling him into a hug, tears began to fall from Horton's eyes, finally letting go to his pain. She slowly let him go, smiling, trying to hold back tears. "Now look what you've done, you're going to make me cry too."

Horton managed to laugh, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Take care of yourself, Thinker. Promise me you'll catch up whenever you get time and tell me how both you and Jojo are doing, alright?"

She nodded, giving her friend one last hug, also handing him her bag. Tipping her cap, she slowly disappeared to Whoville, leaving her best friend and the egg alone in the silence.

After Kirsty's exit, the seasons progressed quickly, the warm autumn days soon becoming cooler. September had long gone, and October was just about to end. One of those days, while Horton was having a stickybeak through Kirsty's bag of belongings- which was a lot larger in the inside than he expected- something purple caught his eye. Looking up, he saw it was Gertrude, who was holding a blue knitted scarf in her hands. Unknown to Horton, her tail had grown even longer, most of it still lost in the foliage of the jungle.

A smile grew wide on her face, as she saw his eyes meeting hers. "Horton, I brought you a scarf," she called up to him, handing it up to him.

"Thank you, Gertrude," Horton told her, as he put the scarf on, not even noticing the tail.

Gertrude blushed, her cheeks going a light shade of pink. Suddenly, she noticed that someone was missing. "Uh, Horton? Where's Kirsty?"

"Her parents enrolled her into this military academy about a month ago," he whispered to her, his expression sagging.

She gasped, completely shocked. Like Horton, Kirsty had told her of her double life, and she had heard a bit about the academy Horton had mentioned. "Oh dear. That's awful! How's she going?"

"I don't know. She hasn't come back; they must be working her really hard, cause she told me she would catch up with me when she had the chance." Horton's ears drooped, looking out into the distance. "I just wish I could talk to her, and then I wouldn't have all this guilt on my chest. I just want to make sure she doesn't get hurt," he told Gertrude, before turning back to her. "Anyway, enough about my problems. Have you heard from Mayzie?"

"She sent a card from some place called Palm Beach," Gertrude told him, passing him a postcard. As Horton read it, she frantically tried to straighten and clean her tail, so Horton would notice it. This was the last chance she had; she had to get this right!

Horton nearly dropped the note, as he finished reading it. "Palm Beach! I never heard of a place like that before. Oh, Gertrude, what if she never comes back?"

"Don't worry, she will," Gertrude reassured him, moving closer to the tree, a portion of her tail in her arms. "Um, Horton, notice anything different?" Gertrude asked hopefully, spinning from the tree and doing a fancy pose, putting the tail right in front his face.

He looked at her for quite some time, wondering what she meant. "Yes, it's g-g-g-getting colder," Horton shivered and looked down at the egg, now trying to find a way to keep it warm.

Gertrude let out an exasperated sigh, and tried to gather up all twenty three metres of her tail, which, of course, didn't working. Eventually, she stormed off, her tail dragging behind long after she left. Before she did, she took one last longing look at Horton, who hadn't even noticed she was gone.

* * *

In the later hours of the afternoon, Horton put Kirsty's cloak around the egg, noticing it had begun to freeze up. It was early December, and the jungle was already covered with snow. It was going to be a long and rough winter. As he carefully brushed the snow off its top, a snowball hit him on the head. His head whipped around, to see a group of young jungle animals running in the opposite direction, laughing.

_What is it with everyone? I have enough trouble looking after this egg with this terrible weather, without everyone in the jungle mocking me dawn until dusk. Why can't they just leave me alone for one minu-_

Unfortunately, his thought was interrupted, as the Bird Girls appeared again, now in furry coats. They were huddled together, trying desperately to keep warm. "And then came the winter…the snow and the sleet, and icicles hung from his trunk and his feet," the girls managed to sing, as a huge breeze whipped past them. They quickly left, rushing back to the comfort of their nice, warm tree.

"It's so cold here. I wonder if it's like this on Who, where Kirsty is. I so do hope she is alright. I just wish I could see her, and tell her-" Horton said to himself, but was interrupted again, by the person in front of him.

It was Kirsty, but not as he had last seen her.

For a start, her brown uniform which he had seen her in a few months ago, wasn't there, in its place was a much swankier, cleaner green uniform. The other noticeable thing was her various facial injuries, broken finger, bruised arms and bandaged leg, however the most notable thing was her stature, which was incredibly thin.

The two stared at each other for quite a few minutes, until Kirsty took one step forward. "Hey, old friend. Long time, no seeeeeeeeeeeee-" her voice broke off as she slipped on the ice like ground, sliding into a tree and eventually landing flat on her face. "Ouch…why do I have to be such a massive klutz?"

Horton let out his trunk, helping her up. "Because you wouldn't be yourself without your clumsy accidents," he told her, jokingly. "So, what brings you back here?"

She adjusted her uniform, brushing the collection of snow off her shoulders. "I got the afternoon off for good behaviour. Surprising, since I'm not the general's favourite cadet."

"Are you sure you're alright? Why are you in such a state?"

"Just some guys at the academy giving me a piece of their mind. Personally, I don't want to talk about it, so if we could please-"

"Giving you a piece of their mind? Kirsty, what-"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Horton flinched. Even though he wanted to know why some boys had treated her so badly, he didn't want her to break down. He still didn't know the full extent of what the academy might have done to her, both inside and out. "So, how's Jojo? Is he alright? Did you catch up with him?"

"Yeah, he's okay. Even though he hates to admit it, the academy has changed him a bit." Kirsty sighed, sadness filling her up. "For a few weeks, he was ignoring me, acting like I was some stranger to him. But then, after an incident in training, I finally managed to get him to talk to me. Turns out he was avoiding me because of the day at the observatory. He told me at that moment it happened, he had made it his duty to protect me and keep me from harm, as he felt like he had a debt to pay to me."

Her friend smiled at her. "Well, I'm glad you are still friends. It will make your time at the academy a lot easier."

Kirsty was just about to agree, when she saw small white flakes falling from the sky. She tightened up her shoulders, scared by the strange ice shards. "What's this stuff?" she asked him, timidly.

"It won't hurt you, it's just snow." Horton explained, blowing some of the icicles out of his trunk like water. "Haven't you ever you seen snow in winter before?"

"No. Where I came from, we got rain instead of snow in winter," she told him, climbing up to the nest. When she got there, she gazed at him, motioning for him to move. "Well, now I'm back, the least I can do is giving you a break from sitting on Mayzie's egg, as I assume she is still on vacation." When her friend didn't move, she rolled her eyes. "Stop being stubborn for once, Horton. We agreed to this, that we would sit on this egg together. It's time for me to do my end of the deal. Are you scared I'll break it or something? I swear I'll be careful. Cadet's honour."

Horton sighed, and eventually let her sit on the egg. He sat beside her, not leaving her side. After a few minutes, the weather started to get extremely rough, a blizzard breaking out. They both held onto each other tightly, as the tree started to sway violently. Rain also started to fall, a lightning bolt lit up the sky and thunder crashed violently , making Kirsty become anxious, huddling into Horton, who hugged her.

"We can't leave this nest. No, we meant what we said," Kirsty sang, looking to Horton.

"This egg might get frozen but the Whos might be dead!" Horton sang, also a tiny bit scared.

"We couldn't say no when we heard Mayzie beg. Now we're caught between a dust speck and an incubating egg!" They both wept, just before they heard a large sound. Before they could even react, a group of humans came out of the bushes, long stick like objects strapped to their belts. Kirsty's eyes widened, knowing the true meaning of the sticks.

The humans quickly spotted Horton and Kirsty, and surrounded them, causing Kirsty to start hyperventilating. "Help! Someone help! Hunters! Help!" Kirsty yelled out, as loud as she could. Gertrude heard her cry and tried to help them, but she kept tripping over her tail and falling, and when she tried to fly, she was stuck to the ground, her tail too heavy.

"Horton! ... Horton!" she screamed, as the hunters aimed their 'guns' at Horton and Kirsty's hearts. The moment they did, the scene froze, Kirsty again the only one able to move. Without even question the universe, she stepped out of the tree, signally the familiar tune to start up again, as a spotlight lit him up on Horton, bringing him back into life.

"When your life's going wrong and you're wondering why," Kirsty shrugged, taking the situation as it came. However, this time, she felt much more into it, her heart much more in its spirt.

Next, a light went on Gertrude, who also was released. "When your tail is so long you're unable to fly!" she sang to her, Gertrude looking at Horton with a confused look.

"Tell yourself how lucky you are," the three sang, Horton and Gertrude not entirely sure what was happening. Next, a larger spotlight went onto an empty part of the clearing, Jojo and General Schmitz now visible, their figures like a shadow.

"When you land with a thud and you're bumped and you're bruised," Jojo sang, his appearance rugged and torn.

"When you're trapped," Horton beamed, starting to get into the moment.

"And you're grounded," Gertrude shrugged.

"And lost and confused!" Kirsty added, laughing slightly.

"Tell yourself how lucky you are!" the four sang together.

Suddenly, a spotlight appeared on a damaged and dejected Who, their image similar to the General and Jojo. "Why rehash a nasty crash. Why call a hearse or curse the universe! My philosophy is simply: Things could be worse!" the Whos smiled, just before a thrash of lightning came pelting down.

At that, the citizens of the jungle came out of their homes, the Bird Girls now caring the extra amounts of Gertrude's tail, all of them singing. "So be happy you're here. Think of life as a thrill! And if worse comes to worse, as we all know it will, thank your lucky star you've gotten this far."

"And tell yourself..." Kirsty declared, beckoning a moment of dance, the entire jungle as active as the storm. The only ones who stayed frozen were the hunters, the magic of the jungle too impossible for their minds to handle.

"How lucky you are!" everyone sang, some belting the words out a little too hard. Eventually, everyone started to move out of the clearing, returning to their original positions. "How lucky! How lucky! How lucky you are... How lucky! How lucky! How lucky you are... How lucky! How lucky! How lucky! How lucky! How lucky!" Soon enough, Kirsty had made her way back to the tree, almost everyone either gone or disappeared. Sighing, she took one last look out, like an emcee to an audience just before the final moment of an act.

"How lucky you are!" she smiled, before looking to Horton, a scared look now on her face. They grabbed onto each other, both petrified. Next thing she knew, she was hit with a strange red bullet, it landing on the side of the next. "What in the world…." She tried to say, just before she slipped into darkness, her mid closing its own curtains.


	19. Chapter 18: Trouble in NYC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “New Beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.”- Lao Tzu

**Chapter 18: Troubles In NYC**

Horton slowly began to regain consciousness, the tranquiliser starting to wear off. Raising himself up, he hit his head on something hard. Gazing to the sky, he realised he was in some sort of cage. Before he could wonder why, he was knocked to the other side, a collection of water drifting in. Everywhere he looked, all he could see was strange box shaped, grey objects, which scared him even more. Where was he?

Sitting back down on his nest, he saw something on the other side of the cage, looking beaten up and dripping wet. At first he didn't know what it was, but then he remembered. How could he could be so forgetful, that 'something' was his best friend! Stretching his trunk out to her, Horton checked her pulse. She was alive, but only just.

He lightly nudged her, trying to wake her up, whispering softly to her. "Kirsty, wake up…please…" When she didn't respond, Horton sighed, knowing his friend couldn't hear him, and went back to observing his surroundings. They looked like to be in the middle of a sea, one he didn't recognise. The time, he couldn't be sure, since the moon was hidden well behind the clouds, but it seemed to be late evening.

"Horton…"

At the sound of his name, he whipped his head to Kirsty, who eyes were beginning to open. "Oh, thank goodness you're all right!" he exclaimed, a smile appearing on his face. "How are you feeling?"

"A little drowsy, mainly because of the tranquilisers," Kirsty told him, managing to sit up. "I don't know why they shot me though; I am their species, after all."

Horton began to grow confused. "What exactly were those creature that shot us? And what are tranquillosers?

His friend shook her head, laughing slightly. "Tranquilisers, silly. They are like drugs, used to calm animals for transportation. And the people who shot them, they were humans, hunters. I don't know how they got into Nool, though." She looked around herself, noticing the strange surroundings. "From my knowledge, we're on a cargo ship, guessing from the various shipping containers and such. They must have dug the tree up and drag us off while we were sleeping. "

As the ship rocked to the other side, making both of them hit their heads on the low cage roof, Horton noticed that the clouds had opened up, rain starting to pour down on them, which made his mood even more miserable. "Kirsty, I need to get something off my chest. It's driving me crazy and I need to ask someone if I'm not kidding myself."

"What is it, Hort?" she asked him, while trying to find a way to keep both of them dry. "You can tell me. I'm sure I can help you out."

"I'm in love with Gertrude McFuzz."

Just as he said that, the ship tilted. Surprised by Horton's confession, Kirsty slipped in a small puddle of water and banged the back of her head on one of the metal cage bars. "Gertrude?" she echoed, rubbing her head in pain.

"Yeah, I have always cared about her, but a few months ago, about when you showed up, I realised that I loved her. Every time I see her, I've wanted to tell her, but I've been too scared to tell her my real feelings for her. I'm scared that she'll say no, laugh at me, walk away, or worse." He looked down at the ground, feeling completely foolish. "Do you think I'm an idiot, for even thinking I could have a chance with her?"

Kirsty let out a sigh. Why couldn't he realise that Gertrude was as crazy about him as he was for her? She wanted to tell Horton about Gertrude, but she had promised Gertrude she wouldn't. Why did she have to do everything people asked of her? "Don't even think that. You are an incredible person, Horton; all you need is a boost of confidence. When we get back to Nool, you should tell her how you feel. Maybe she might feel the same way about you! Just go for it, you have nothing to lose," she told him. She felt terrible not telling him how Gertrude felt the same for him, but maybe it was better for him to figure it out on his own.

Unexpectedly, Horton picked his friend up with his trunk, bringing her up to his level. "That's what I like best about you, you're so good at giving advice." He slowly let her down, placing her gently in the corner opposite to him.

Watching the rain drip from her hair and the waves flooding the deck, Kirsty also felt like she had to tell him something. "You know that Jojo and I might be fighting in the war?"

"What?!" Horton exclaimed, his mouth open wide. "That's absurd! You're just kids! What do your parents think about this? They would have to get you and Jojo out, for sure!"

His friend shook her head, wishing what he had said was true. "They don't know that we are. Neither do any of the other parents. Jojo and I found out when we were looking for General Schmitz, after a group of first year cadets bashed me up and left me for dead. That's why I came back so terrible, along with the intense training drills. I was going to tell Helen, that's Mrs Mayor's actual name, but I wanted to be sure, so Jojo and I decided that we would keep investigating until we got some proof. Of course, he'll be looking alone, now I'm here."

They looked at each other, on both their faces a look of despair, guilt and utter defeat. "Well, let's just hope that wherever we are going, we go together," he told her, beginning to get tired.

"Until the end," Kirsty agreed, closing her eyes, the beating of the rain soothing her to sleep.

* * *

The sun was disappearing in the distance, signalling nightfall, but Kirsty and Horton weren't sleeping, and weren't going to for a few hours.

"Be strong, Horton!"

Kirsty turned to her friend, his face turning a light shade of green. The rough seas were finally getting to him.

As she tried to find a bucket of sorts for him, before he got sick, she spotted a man, about 20 or so, cleaning the deck. He must have been on nightshift, though she hadn't seen him the day before, when they first arrived. He was about medium in everything and quite plain and dull looking, except for his hair, which was bright orange and tied up in a small ponytail.

"Excuse me, sir? Hello? Could you help me please?" she called out to the man. When he saw her, he dropped his mop, completely dumbfounded.

It took a few moments before he was able to respond. "Did you just speak? But how?" He slowly moved to her, incredibly wary of this strange English speaking creature.

Kirsty rolled her eyes. "I can explain, but do you have a bucket? My friend can't hold it in much longer."

"Sure." he murmured, still completely astounded, but understanding what she meant. He rushed over to a small storeroom, where he came out with a large bucket, which he quickly put near the elephant.

Kirsty looked away, not wanting to be sick herself. As her friend stopped, she rubbed him on the back. "It's alright…it's okay…"

"You need one?" the man asked her, holding a spare bucket up.

She shook her head. "I'll be fine, but thank you for asking." The two didn't say anything for a few minutes, not knowing what to say next.

The man was the first to break the silence. "How can I understand you, when you're not human?"

"This may sound quite ridiculous but I am actually a human."

You could hear a pin drop, the man completely speechless. "No, that's impossible. I must have been hearing things," he said to himself, after a few seconds, laughing nervously. "You can't be a human! It's crazy, it's impossible!"

"Only if you believe it is," Kirsty told him, looking him in the eye, her own sparkling with wisdom. After giving him a few moments to take it in, she smiled at him, another question coming to her mind. "What's your name?"

The man put his hand out. "Basil's the name. Well, that's what most folks around here call me."

"Kirsty," she said, shaking Basil's hand through the metal bars. Next, she pointed to Horton, who was reeling from his second case of seasickness. "And that's Horton, a very good friend of mine."

Basil raised an eyebrow. "Horton, hu? Interesting name." Moving his gaze back to Kirsty, he began to study her. "All right, I have a few questions for you. One, how did you end up with an elephant? Two, how did you end up with that thing?" He gestured to the egg, nest and tree as he said that. "Three, what's with the army uniform? And four, how can you be a human when you don't look anything like one?"

"Well, to answer your first question, it's a long story," she explained, smirking, memories coming back to her. "Secondly, that is not a thing; it is an egg, nest and tree to be precise. And how we ended up with it, you don't want to know. Thirdly, I got this uniform from attending a military school, which I don't want to talk about. And lastly, what made you think that I don't look like a human?"

The man shrugged. "Well, for starters, you have a tail. Also, you just look so innocent, like you've just stepped right out of a book or something." Hearing the girl laugh, he grew confused. "What's so funny?"

Managing to stop laughing, she answered him. "Just about how I look like I've stepped out of a book. It's truer than you think."

Before Basil had time to question her, a much older man looked his way, signalling him to come to him. "I have to go, but hopefully, I will be able to talk to you again," Basil said, standing up. Kirsty smiled, giving him a small wave. When he was out of sight, she sat herself back down again, pulling her legs in.

"I see you've got yourself a new friend," Horton told her, his face looking much pinker than it had been.

Kirsty put her hands in her pockets. "I wouldn't say that," she informed him. "More like an acquaintance. He was just curious, that's all." As her friend started to become tired, she decided to have another look at the box she had found a few months ago, after Jojo and herself had thought up McElligot's Pool. Opening it, she found a flyer, this time with a circus on the front of it and the title 'The Circus McGurkus! The world's greatest show on the face of the earth or wherever you go!'

"What does a circus have to do with us?" she wondered, putting the flyer in her bag for safe keeping. She remembered the first time she had found something in the box, which was a brochure for the General's military Academy. Somehow or other, that brochure was linked to events which were going to happen. Confused and worried, Kirsty curled up in a ball and closed her eyes, hoping that the days ahead wouldn't get any worse. What if this flyer meant something bad?

* * *

" _SHE DID WHAT?"_

_Kirsty woke up with a start, to find herself no longer in the cage, but in an office, quite similar to Mr Mayor's, back in Whoville. Also, she wasn't in her military uniform anymore, but instead, flowing white clothes, which made it clear that she was in a dream. Though, something about the whole situation seemed too real, like it was actually happening._

_The voice, which she immediately identified as the same person from the council's secret meeting about her, was coming from a speakerphone, which was surrounded by three people. One of them was the council chairman, which Kirsty easily recognised and the other was General Schmitz, who she hadn't expected to see there. The third person, at first, Kirsty didn't know, but then a memory came back to her. He was the Major at the Academy, who she had seen on a few occasions._

" _Yes, sir," General Schmitz told him. "Both her and her friend came into my office at about 11pm on Friday last week. They saw the placement plans, but they didn't see anything else."_

_The gruff voice growled, sending a chill down Kirsty's spine. She now knew they were talking about her and Jojo again. "How can one child be so difficult? I thought you said the Academy would straighten her out, put her out of our picture?"_

_As she moved forward an inch, the council chairman stepped forward. "I may have underestimated her, but I can assure you, she is definitely out of the picture and will be, as long as she is in the Academy."_

" _Still, I feel like she's hiding something!" his boss yelled. "She and that other Thinker must be part of the Creator's plan, his rebellion, to try and stop me. Him and that Guardian, they think they're so great, with their old fashioned techniques and overrated clichés, but really, they are nothing compared to me." Kirsty backed up a little. Who were these Creator and Guardian people and how was she involved with them? "About a year ago, I found out that the Creator had a secret weapon, something that posed a massive threat to my operation. Then, a few months ago, I discovered that the item, called the Source, was in Seuss. I could easily see it was there, as everything we had begun to enforce had started to spiral back to the way it used to be. We are almost ready to put our full plan into force, but we still have a lot to do, and with that girl in the way and the source existent, time is running out for us." He sighed. "Have you had any news from Martin?"_

" _No news as yet. In fact, he says that it's been so quiet, he has had to rely on loans just to keep himself afloat, let alone his business," the Major answered him, grumbling. "To be honest with you, I don't see why he's still there; we could really use him here."_

_Suddenly, the chairman rammed him to the wall, near where Kirsty was observing, making her quickly move to the other side. "How dare you question our great leader?!" he roared at him, looking like he was about to punch him. "You may be a relation to our boss, Sylvester, but that doesn't give you the right to doubt him."_

_General Schmitz rushed to pull the two away from each other. "Jack, calm down. It's not his fault he wasn't there when it happened. However, he doesn't have the right to mistrust our leader."_

_Kirsty's head spun, her head overflowing with millions of thoughts, speculations and presumptions. She moved backwards, not wanting to hear anymore, in fear of more secrets and betrayal. Unfortunately, she tripped on an object behind her, which made her fall into oblivion. At that moment, her vision deteriorated, sending her back to reality._

* * *

When the two friends woke up, a massive amount of voices swamped their eardrums. They looked to each other, noticing both of them were much cleaner than they were before.

Even though her head was dizzy and all her joints felt heavy, she moved her head against the cage, which had be covered by a silk cloth to try and hear something, anything that might explain where they had been taken.

"Settle down, everyone. One at a time!"

She moved back to the nest and Horton, who looked quite ill. She felt his head, which was unusually cold. Putting her arm around him, she seemed to calm him down. At that moment, the voices began to die down.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome back to tonight's New York City Annual Christmas Eve Auction," a male voice announced. "Our last item up for bid this evening is lot 39, which is quite a unique and rare entry. I guarantee that no one here tonight has ever seen something like this before."

Suddenly, someone lifted the cloth off, revealing a massive crowd, which made Kirsty and Horton speechless. The crowd gasped in amazement.

_Don't worry, Kirsty. This must be one of your crazy dreams. We can't be in the human world, that's absurd! It's…It's-_

Her thought was interrupted, as the man tapped his microphone, silencing the crowd. "A pendulous pachyderm and a strange unidentified creature on egg, nest and tree. The bidding will begin at ten thousand dollars. Do I hear ten, ten thousand?" The crowd became boisterous, the auctioneer failing to keep the organised manner.

Shocked beyond belief, the last thing Kirsty wanted to do was sing, but, as usual, the world decided that now was the perfect time. She got out of the tree, her feet placed firmly on the ground. Taking a breath in, she did a small vocal scat, which moved everyone's attention to her.

"Up out of the jungle, up into the sky, up over the mountains…Ten thousand feet high," she sang, belting out the words, which made the crowd completely silent, amazed by this a cappella performance. "Then down from the mountains and down to the sea…" She looked to Horton, putting her hand out to him, as an upbeat rhythm began. "Went Horton the elephant, Egg, nest and tree."

As Kirsty hanged onto the last note, doing some improvising, the crowd seemed to join in with her, thinking that this was all part of the auction. "Egg, nest and tree!" half the people in the room echoed.

"Egg, nest and tree!" sang the other half.

Even though she was slightly surprised by the sudden involvement, she went along with it, trying to keep the audience on her side. "They loaded the wagon right onto a ship. Out over the ocean and ooh, what a trip!" she continued, going over to the other side of the stage. "Rolling and tossing and sick as could be! Just a seasick elephant, egg, nest and tree."

"Egg, nest and tree..." the crowd sang, as Kirsty made her way from Horton to the other side of the room.

"After bobbing around for two weeks like a cork," she narrated.

"Egg, nest and tree!"

"We landed at last in the town of New York."

"Egg, nest and tree!"

"We were wet, we were tired, and hungry and cold,"

"Egg, nest and tree!"

"Then, Horton was taken to auction..." she went back to the tree and sat down next to Horton. As she did, the music paused and she looked to the auctioneer, who was completely flabbergasted.

In a matter of seconds, the massive crowd began raising their signs, racing for a bid, desperately wanting this magnificent item. "Ah! Going once, going twice..." The young man banged his gavel after a few minutes of fast paced auctioning. When he did, a strange feeling went through Kirsty, as if time had stopped. Luckily for her, the man's voice broke her shock. "Sold...for five hundred thousand dollars…to the man with the sideburns and the greasy black moustache." He squinted his eyes and adjusted the glasses he was wearing, looking at the person he was pointing to. "Oh, excuse me, Madame! Sold...to the man from the circus!"

"Sold ... sold ... sold ...egg, nest and tree," Kirsty sang sadly, as they were taken away again. They were no closer to finding Who, even further than they had been before, and she didn't even know if she and Horton would make it back to Nool, in the same state as they had come out. And another question had formed itself in her mind, one which concerned her even more.

What had happened to her when that gavel was hit?

 


	20. Chapter 19: The Circus McGurkus Awaits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Time is a circus, always packing up and moving away."- Ben Hecht

**Chapter 19: The Circus McGurkus Awaits**

About half an hour after they had been bought, Kirsty and Horton were packed into a truck and were on the way to their destination. Luckily, for both of them, the people hadn't decided to use the tranquiliser again, as the journey was short enough for them to not be sedated. Even though the back of the truck was dark, and there were plenty of bumps in the road along the way, it was much better than the boat.

"Are you doing okay, Horton?" Kirsty asked him as she put her hand on him, seeing that he had been unusually quiet for quite some time. "Is the egg doing alright? If you want a rest, I can sit on it-"

"No," Horton answered her, an annoyed look on his face. "I am perfectly capable of doing it myself."

A little shocked by his answer, she removed her hand. "I know, I just thought-"

"You just thought? Well, for once in your life, your thought was wrong," he told her, turning away from her.

"Horton, what wrong? What's with you, today?" Kirsty said, a bit shocked by his comment. "Why are you so angry?"

He turned back to her, growling at her. "The reason I'm so angry, you should know. Now, will you stop asking me questions? Your voice is grating on my brain!"

"Look, I'm sorry that you're not well, Horton. But what I don't understand is why you're so mad at me right now! I don't think I've done anything wrong!"

The two were interrupted by the truck stopping, which made the cage move to one side, moving them both against each other.

_Wow…this is awkward…this is the first time we've ever fought before. Guess all friends have to fight at one point. But I have never seen this side of Horton before, it doesn't seem right._

A few minutes later, the men that had transported them moved the two out of the truck and out into the open. Through a gap in the cover, which had been placed over them for safety, Kirsty could see that they were in the midst of a circus ground, with a giant red and yellow striped tent in the middle of it all, surrounded by several, smaller tents, also red and yellow striped. They were taken to one of the surrounding tents, which was where the men left them. After checking they were gone, she pulled the cloth off, where she noticed the cage door was now unlocked.

"You don't think so?" he said, responding to her comment from earlier.

As she got out of the cage, she turned back to Horton, who still looked quite aggressive. "No, I don't. So, if you don't mind, I'm checking to see if I can find anyone, see if they can tell us where we are."

"Fine. But I'm not speaking to you until you can admit to me that you were wrong, about everything!" Horton said, turning away from her.

Part of her couldn't believe that he was saying those words, and she didn't understand what he was saying. Why was he so angry at her? Kirsty sighed, walking away from him. Looking around, she couldn't see anyone, until she heard a voice behind her.

"Oh, look what we have here…a sneaky little trespasser."

She jumped, turning the opposite way, to see a young woman, most likely in her twenties, standing near a staircase, wearing punk style clothes and a small pink mohawk.

The woman came out of her hiding place, a sly look on her face. "You stupid reporters can't help but put your nose into everyone that isn't yours." She looked Kirsty over, inspecting her. "Well, guess what, just because you're who you are doesn't mean you have rights to treat other people like junk."

"I-It's not like that, I just-"the teenager tried to explain, nerves preventing her from moving.

"Ah, now I know what you're here for. You're looking for our new act, aren't you?" Seeing that the girl was worried, the woman moved closer to her. "I knew it! Unluckily for you, you bumped into me, the toughest, most loyal member of the Circus McGurkus."

Before Kirsty could reply, the woman continued talking. "Trying to act innocent? Sorry to say this, but your tricks don't fool me. Guess there's only one way to keep you quiet," she told her, as she started to crack her knuckles. Kirsty stepped back, but tripped and fell over. Trying to protect herself, she put her hand in front of her face, which the woman grabbed.

Before the woman was could hurt her, another man, who looked to be in his late twenties, came into view. "There you are, Liberty. We were wondering where you were. Have you found out where our-" he paused, as he noticed the young girl. He moved towards her, and then he paused, his eyes landing on Kirsty's tail.

"What on earth?" As he eyed her tail, he spotted an identification bracelet around the girl's wrist. "Lot 39? No…it can't be…" He quickly made the woman let the teenager go. "I'm terribly sorry, please excuse her. I don't know what came over her. Really, she is a nice person; you just caught her in a bad mood. She has a bit of a temper about her."

As he helped the young girl stand back up, a smile had started to grow on his face. Quickly after, he introduced himself. "I'm Eiffel, and that's Liberty. We're both trapeze artists of the Circus McGurkus, the greatest circus to ever set foot in America. Well, that's what they used to say. We're not as famous as we used to be, but I hear that's all going to change now the circus has a world first act. And you're going to be part of it. Come on, I'll show you our troupe."

Before Kirsty could react, Eiffel took her hand and led her to an interconnecting tent with Liberty close behind. When they reached the entrance, Liberty opened the cloth door and Kirsty could see, from behind her and Eiffel, a large group of people. Some were sitting on big sofas, others standing or huddled around a fireplace. The whole room was beautifully decorated, which was a big change to the area she was last in.

"Hey guys, we have a surprise for you!" Eiffel called out. Everyone turned to the door, their conversations breaking off.

Two young men, dressed in matching blue and orange hoodies with either an X or Y on the backs, sighed at their fellow members. "You finally made it, you two. You're so late," they complained in unison, their voices sounding almost the same. Just as they were about to say something else, they spotted Kirsty. "Uh, who's that?"

"Everyone, I would like you to meet the first part of our new act," Eiffel announced to the crowd, pulling the girl into view. "And if you think I'm joking, I'll prove it." When he showed them Kirsty's auction identification tag, everyone started to ask questions.

"So this is our new act?"

"She looks a bit young, don't you think?"

"What is she? I've never seen a creature like this before."

"Look at her tail! Maybe she's some sort of science experiment?"

Eiffel put his fingers in his mouth, whistling loudly. "Slow down, all of you. You're scaring her. We don't want our new act to run away before she has even begun." Looking at the teenager, he chuckled. "Looks like we have a shy one. Don't worry; we aren't going to hurt you. Well, at least not the majority of us. Only those two, X and Y. The twins have a habit of scaring the new ones."

"Us? Troublemakers? How could you think such a thing?" one of them spoke up. The other twin just looked at Kirsty wide eyed, not speaking a word.

"Come on, you two. Leave her alone!" Eiffel scolded. Next, he began to introduce her to the rest of the circus. They didn't say much to her, most of them giving her strange looks. When she glanced at Liberty, she just glared at her, making Kirsty feel even more nervous.

_This is just like the Jungle of Nool and Whoville. I always stand out. Why does it have to be like this everywhere I go?_

Noticing her sad expression, Eiffel tried to reassure her. "Don't worry about everyone else, they will get used to you eventually. It's just that it's been a while since we've had a newbie. We officially start our tour when the New Year starts, but we do have a Christmas performance tonight, so after that, you'll be working with us to find your talent, Miss…"

Kirsty paused before answering him. Was it safe to tell them her name? Could she really trust these people? "It's Kirsty. Just Kirsty," she said, before sneezing. The cold air was starting to affect her.

"Well, Kirsty, we better get you warmed up before you freeze," he told her, before speaking to an older lady in the corner. "Sahara, would you mind getting her a coat?"

"It would be my pleasure," she said, her voice sounding much friendlier than Kirsty had expected. In a matter of seconds, she had found an elaborately coloured coat for her. "Does it fit alright? Are you warm enough?"

Kirsty nodded, her tiny body starting to warm up. Eiffel smiled. "Sorry about all the crazy clothing. Liberty likes to experiment with fashion. She actually made this, isn't that awesome?"

"Oh, Eiffel, when will you stop thinking that she's so cool? Any fool can tell that she's only seeking attention."

Kirsty turned, to see a girl, about the same age as Liberty, at the entrance of the tent. She noticed that everyone in the room had stopped talking, like they were all scared of her.

Eiffel turned around, his expression changed completely. "Don't you have something else to do, Lolla? Can't you see we're busy?" he growled at her.

"I can see that, loser," she rolled her eyes, stepping into the room. When she saw Kirsty, a wicked smile growing on her face. "Now, who's this? I haven't seen you before?" She moved over to her, quickly spotting her bracelet. "You must be part of our new act. I don't see what's so amazing about you. You look useless to me." Kirsty gulped, as fear began to come back to her.

"The only one who is useless is you, Lolla," a voice spoke up, which, surprisingly, came from Liberty. "You're only here because you are Mr McGurkus' favourite. You have no talent, whatsoever. The only thing you are good at is hitting on men and stealing people's boyfriends."

Luckily for Kirsty, Lolla stepped away from her, her focus now on Liberty. "Harsh words, Liberty, especially when you were the one who was actually stealing. Maybe if you stopped accusing people of things, you would stop being view as such a slut."

Nearly everyone gasped, shocked by Lolla's words. Liberty didn't react, but Kirsty could tell she was upset. "You little-" Eiffel fumed, a few circus members holding him back.

Lolla laughed evilly, before looking to Kirsty. "Now, as for the newbie, one word of advice. If you get in my way, be prepared to get crushed. I wouldn't even bother unpacking if I were you, but, by the looks of it, that won't be a problem."

As she left the room, Liberty growled. "Why does she have to be so stuck up?" Turning to Kirsty, she said, "I'm sorry that you got pulled into that, it had nothing to do with you."

Before she could ask what the argument was about, the knife thrower, known as Razor, came up to her. "Well, how about you show us the other part of your act? Then we can take you on a tour?"

"All right, I'll go get him," she said to them, going out of the room, through the snow and into the tent where she left Horton. When she saw the cage, she froze, completely speechless. In front of her was a strange teenage boy, about a few years older than Kirsty, who was sitting on the egg, nest and tree, her friend nowhere in sight. As she stood there, the man looked to her, his chestnut eyes unmistakable.

"Horton?"

* * *

The two stared at each other for what seemed like forever, both utterly confused. Kirsty was the first to break the silence, moving slowly towards her friend.

"Y-you're h-human?"

Horton nodded, slightly unsure himself. Looking over him, Kirsty noticed that he was about her height, possibly a bit shorter, and his figure was still solid, but not as much as it had been. His hair was now was a few inches longer and a dark brown shade, and his skin was a light tan colour. He was dressed in grey shaded clothes, which were not at all warm enough for this weather. Everything about him seemed so different, but he still had the same feel about him that she had known. But did he still hate her? "You must be freezing! Here, cover yourself with this cloak. I'll get the book out and see why you're like this, and then I'll get you some better clothes." Getting the cloak which she had got from Mr Francesco's shop on her birthday, she handed it to him, before quickly getting the book out of her bag.

"Ted? Ted, are you there?" she asked the book. Luckily for both of them, Ted's face appeared on the front of the book.

When he saw Kirsty, he gasped. "Kirsty? My god! What in the name of Seuss happened to you? You look like you've been through a lot since I last spoke to you. Where are we?"

"We're in New York City," Kirsty explained. "Some hunters came and shipped Horton and I off here. When we got here, we were auctioned off to some circus." Grabbing Horton into Ted's view, she got down to business. "We've got a big problem, Ted. You see, Horton's turned human for some reason. Do you think you can tell us why?"

"Oh dear, this is serious…" he replied, quickly disappearing. When he did, the pages of the book started to turn rapidly, making Kirsty and Horton step back. After a few seconds, the pages stopped turning, showing a page filled with strange inscriptions. "From my research, Horton has turned human due to the crossing of the realms, in which the balance of reality and impossibility has been compromised."

Kirsty's head began to spin. "Huh?" she asked. "Are you saying that Seussians can't survive in this world as this reality doesn't support their form due to its impossibility, therefore, they become human?"

"You could say that," Ted said. "But it doesn't stop there. Slowly, they will become fully human and they'll lose all their memories of a Seussian and reality will take them over."

Kirsty gasped, as she slowly closed the book. "What about me? Will I change?"

Ted looked at her and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Miss Kirsty. But I do not know. Since you have lived in the human world most of your life, it won't affect you as much. As for Horton, I'm not sure he will survive as himself much longer. He is already suffering from the reality overload; his mind isn't very controllable at the present."

_So that's why he was arguing with me. He was being serious, he was being…real…_

"Is there anything I can do to stop his transformation?" she asked, desperately.

Ted sighed. "There is nothing that can stop his transformation indefinitely. But there is a way to make it slow down. I suggest you take a look in that box in your bag. It's called The Case of Consolidation. Whenever you need a clue about the future, it will help you, in ways you may not expect to be helpful."

Listening to the book, she pulled the box out of her bag and opened it to find a small bracelet, the same bracelet that Jojo had given her when he had first gone to the academy. "What will this bracelet do?" Instead of answering, Ted just smiled at her. "Of course, Jojo told me that it healed people. Maybe this will help Horton!" When she turned around, she saw Horton had covered himself with the cloak. "Horton! I've found a way that we can help-" As she pulled it off him, she gasped, noticing that his appearance had completely changed, back to his elephant form.

"I can't believe it! You have the Transformation Cloak!"

Kirsty raised an eyebrow, hearing Ted's words. "A what?"

The book turned his pages again, landing on a different page, which had an illustration of the same cloak on it. "A Transformation Cloak. It can transform you into any creature of Seuss that you've seen before. But there is a catch. The transformation, at the present, isn't complete. But, with that bracelet, he might just be able to-"

Before he could continue, Kirsty heard footsteps approaching the tent. Quickly, she hid the book and the cloak in her bag and put the bracelet on his trunk. When the two friends had got back on the tree, two people soon entered the tent. The first one she recognised as Liberty. The second person was new to her, but she knew who he must have been by his appearance.

He was the ringmaster and leader of the circus, Mr McGurkus himself.

"So, you are my new act," he said, going over to the cage to examine the two. "Your first preview performance is tonight, so I expect you to make quite a big impression. I paid a lot of money for you, so it will take a lot of work to impress me." Both Horton and Kirsty gulped, a little intimidated by him. He next looked to Liberty, who was standing beside the door. "Liberty, get them up to speed with the schedule and start to prepare their costumes."

"Yes sir, right away," she answered him, her expression straight. When he left, she took them both away, where they were about to begin their new lives.

* * *

As the day turned into night, the city of New York became a light show and the big top of the Circus McGurkus was filling up by the second, hundreds of people eager to see the 'world first act' that was going to be making its debut.

Horton and Kirsty were waiting nervously backstage with the rest of the circus as the clock ticked ever so closer to eight, which was when the show would begin. While Horton was talking with the other animals, Sahara was putting the final touches to Kirsty's costume, which was just a glittery and sparkly as the city. Her hair was done up and curled, and her makeup made her eyes, face and lips stand out. "Oh my gosh! You look beautiful, kiddo! If those people don't love you with this outfit, I don't know what will!" Sahara exclaimed with delight, looking Kirsty over.

Eiffel, who was now dressed in glittery black and blue frilly pants, came over to her with Liberty, who was dressed in a light blue full body leotard with one of the sleeves cut off. "You look incredible, Kirsty." Looking at her closer, he noticed that she looked nervous. "Don't worry Kirsty, you'll do fine." Turning to the rest of the circus, he clapped his hands together. "All right, places everyone! Showtime starts in five minutes!"

As they all went to their positions, Kirsty moved over to the entrance, where she lifted it slightly, revealing the massive crowd. "How are you feeling?"

She turned around, to see Horton, who was standing behind her, also dressed up a bit. "What if they make fun of us? What if we just get sold as a freak show? I mean, we're getting paid in nuts. Is that what we are worth?"

"I don't know. I guess there is only one way to find out," he answered, as they climbed back up on the egg, nest and tree. Shortly after, the houselights went down and a spotlight came down on a person in the middle of the big top, the ringmaster of the circus, Mr McGurkus himself.

"Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, children and creatures. The smallest of small, and the tallest of tall! Come old and young! Come one and all! It's the Circus McGurkus!" he announced to the audience. "The world's greatest show on the face of the earth or wherever you go! The Circus McGurkus! In town for one week! Each marvellous marvel is ten cents a peek! Oh, the sights that you'll see! Why our big top is packed. And there's no telling where we may find our next act!"

On his mark, all the performers and animals of the circus came out from backstage and he moved to the side. In the minutes that followed, they all showed off their acts, which amazed the audience in many ways.

As a drum roll began, the dancer came from the stage and moved Kirsty and Horton on stage, the lights back down again. "And now, all you folks, for the first time on view, from…" Mr McGurkus looked at his notes, a little confused by what was next. "…The Jungle of Nool, near the River Walloo, a pendulous pachyderm! Look! Can it be? Who sits on an egg…in a nest…in a tree?" he stepped aside and a spotlight went on the next act. Everyone in the audience gasped in amazement, as they saw Horton and Kirsty, sitting on the nest. As for Horton and Kirsty, they were petrified, but they knew better than to show it, so they just smiled weakly and waved to the crowd.

"Come see the monstrosities! Real curiosities!" the entire circus sang and danced around the ring. "Go where you never have been! The Circus McGurkus!"

"The Circus McGurkus!" Mr McGurkus shouted from the centre of the ring.

"The Circus McGurkus!" they all sang. "Come on in! Come on in!" Unexpectedly, the whole stage lights turned off, which left both the circus and the audience confused. Knowing that she was the only one who could save their act in time, she stepped off the tree and began to sing a note, to where a white spotlight suddenly came down on her, which was powered by her thinks.

"When you've jounced along on a road full of ruts, have been jeered by a throng and performing for nuts, tell yourself how lucky you are!" Kirsty sang, as everyone looked at her with amazement. "There's a crick in your tail and a cramp in your toes, you're on who knows what trail and where Who is, who knows! Tell yourself how lucky you are!" She stepped a few more spaces away from the tree, looking into the distance. "We're worried for Jojo and all of the rest. They're lost in the clover; we're stuck on a nest. We'll sit on this egg. Cause what else we can do! Oh, Mayzie, please find us! Vacation is through. Oh, Mayzie, please find us, we've got to save Who!" When she finished, the lights came back on and the audience went wild, for several minutes.

After the crowd had clear out, the entire circus ensemble, minus Lolla, swamped Kirsty backstage, giving her countless praises and admirations. But, in the past few minutes, she had noticed that Horton wasn't happy and kept giving her glares. Confused by her friend's behaviour, she couldn't help but question him. "Alright, what with the sudden attitude?"

"Sudden attitude…" he whispered to himself, before looking to her, on his face a scowl. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe because I am sick of being treated like I am a hopeless, incapable idiot. I can actually do things by myself you know." At that, he left the crowd and went back to the back area, where the tree was now placed. Kirsty followed him, with a few of the circus member a few metres behind.

"I don't think you're a hopeless, incapable idiot. Why would I ever think that about you? And I know you can do things by yourself. I'm just trying to be kind-" Kirsty tried to explain, beginning to get frustrated, before Horton interrupted her.

"And while I'm thinking about it, that's not the only reason. Why do you always think you and I are so alike? Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but you nothing like me!" The more he went on, the more his voice rose. "Also, you always think that you can do things by yourself, like when you tried to get the clover against Vlad, and you never think of the consequences. What are you thinking when you do those stupid things? You have no fighting skills and you're not physically strong, either. What makes you think you can stand a chance against anyone?"

"But it doesn't matter about any of that. There wasn't any time to think about what might happen. I was there, I had to do something!"

"That's no excuse! Don't forget, you're just a kid!"

Suddenly, Horton collapsed, right beside the tree. "Horton!" Rushing to his side, she looked to Liberty and Eiffel. "Did you guys give him anything?

Liberty stepped forward. "He looked pretty bad, so I gave him some pain relief. It should make him better in a few hours. See, he's improving already."

"That will only make him worse!" she said, exasperated. Knowing reality was affecting him again, she got some water out of her bag and some Nool berries, which she mixed into the water. "Come on, Horton. You have to drink this."

Horton pushed the water away, mumbling inaudible. "Horton, please! You have to drink this…" After many tries, he managed to drink some. Kirsty sighed with relief. "Good, Horton. I know it hurts, but you have to keep going!"

As Kirsty tried to get him to drink more, Eiffel backed away, shocked by what he was witnessing. "This is…this is impossible…"

In the next few minutes, Kirsty managed to give Horton another few sips, until he started to become drowsy. "Horton, stay with me. Keep those eyes open." Knowing he was getting worse, she began to panic. "No, Horton! Stay with me! You have to stay awake! Fight it! You have so much to live for, so much more to do with your life! You have friends who care about you, a planet of people who trust you and an egg that needs you! Think about them!"

Unknown to her, all the circus was watching her now, including the ringmaster. On all their faces, a look of pure shock. "Your mother would want you to fight on! She sacrificed her life for you, don't you throw that away!" she yelled at him, trying to get him to listen to her. "And I want you to! You gave me a life I could never have! You answered my pleas for a friend in the world. I can't live without you!" When she looked at her friend, she noticed that his eyes were now fully closed and his hold around her arm was loose.

Tears beginning to flow from her eyes, Kirsty tried to wake him up. "Horton? Wake up…please…I'm sorry….please…just wake up…" She hugged Horton tightly, crying heavily, before she eventually gave in to her pain. Whatever the next few months had in store for them, she knew that it wouldn't get any easier. She knew that the majority of the circus had been watching her, and had sensed them leaving, their minds most likely confused. But, just before her eyes closed, she had sworn she had felt a pair of gentle hands wrap a blanket around Horton and her, without saying a word.


	21. Chapter 20: Mother Knows Best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Being a mother is an attitude, not a biological relation.” —Robert A. Heinlein

**Chapter Twenty: Mother Knows Best**

After a busy and hectic week shopping, organising meetings with the City Council, having a dress fitting with her tailor and helping her husband with his filing and paperwork, Mrs. Mayor was more than happy to make an early trip home. Unlocking her front door, she noticed that her husband was not yet home. She figured that he must have been caught at the office, as that happened often.

"Good afternoon, my lady. How was your day?" a voice said, breaking the lady's thoughts. She glanced to the kitchen to see Cith, her family's personal butler and her daughter's tutor and escort before Kirsty had been sent to the military academy. "I have prepared your tea, just the way you required."

Mrs. Mayor made her way over to him, picking up the cup of tea he had made for her. It tasted quite different from her regular cup, the flavour having an irregular tang. The aroma was also peculiar, its fragrance not one she recognised. "Quite well, Cith. What type of tea is this?"

"A new brand called Sapphire Haze. I thought you might enjoy it. It apparently has glowing reviews; they say that it makes you feel quite fresh. Do you not like it, madam?"

"No, I think it's fine. Just very unusual. But remember, Cith, just call me Mrs. Mayor, please. You don't have to be so formal when you speak to me."

"Yes, Mrs. Mayor. I will remember to do that in future."

After she took another sip, Mrs. Mayor moved on to her next question. "Did any mail come in today?"

The young man nodded, his ever familiar smile fading from his face. "Only one, my lady." He handed the woman an envelope. It had her name addressed on it, next to a royal emblem. It was the same emblem which belonged to the military school she had sent her daughter to, the place which had torn their mother-daughter relationship completely apart.

She swallowed her tears, trying to keep her professional state in front of her servant. "I can't believe it has been three months already," she said aloud to herself. "The house seems a lot less bright without her here. Sometimes, I forget she's gone away and I go to wish her goodnight, but…" Her words faded away, memories of her daughter slipping through her fingers like sand. Moments of their time together had suddenly come back to her, including when her daughter had told her the worst news of all, which crushed her heart.

She wasn't really her child. In fact, she wasn't even a Who, but a human who had been sucked into their world and put into this role.

"I miss her too…" he whispered, knowing that she must be hurting. "I wish I could have at least said goodbye to your daughter, before she left. She was always so nice and I think that's what got her in trouble. Things like this hurt, they make you want to give up, but we have to remember, it's all for the best. We have to be strong, keep acting like nothing is wrong for Miss Kirsty's sake, so hopefully she can be strong too."

Mrs. Mayor smiled at her butler, thanking him for his wise and kind words of support, before he left the room, giving her some time alone. After sitting in silence for a few minutes, she slowly opened the envelope, in which she found a handwritten letter. Instantly, she knew it was from Kirsty, recognising the handwriting. Not at all sure what to expect, she began reading to herself, slowly walking up the staircase.

* * *

_Dear Helen,_

_I hope you and your husband are all right. It's getting a lot colder here; winter must be on the way. Life at the academy has been better than expected. General Schmitz says that I am the most perfectly trained cadet, and that my Thinking problems are a thing of the past!_

… _That's what you wanted to hear, wasn't it? It kills me to lie to you, but I had to say that. You shouldn't have to worry about me. To be honest, it has been utter pain. I thought that I might have been slightly prepared for what I would experience at the academy. Boy was I wrong. Every single day, we are worked to the bone, both in physical and mental abilities. For the majority of the day we have classes, most of which are the majors lecturing us about our enemies, the rebels, the original Butter Battle and how this new war started. The classes themselves aren't so bad, just what they tell us. It just doesn't seem legitimate to me, like there is another side to the story they aren't telling us. The physically demanding part of the day is the early morning, where we have training drills. All the cadets are up at 0500 hours, and within half an hour, most of us are tired beyond belief, and we still have an hour to go of physical training, if we are lucky. The meals are even worse than expected; having to eat raw liver three times a day makes your body even less stable. Surprisingly, in amongst all the drama, I have made a few allies. One of them is Jojo, who has changed a lot since I last saw him, and the other is a corporal, who goes by the name Pip. He has proved very useful, especially in a place like this. He actually respects me, unlike the rest of the cadets, and was the first person who I could trust at all in this organisation. He was the one who secretly sent this letter out for me, as I know that the academy would be fuming if they saw this letter._

_Another thing I underestimated was how much I would miss you. I thought it would easy to live without you, but I had to keep telling myself that I wasn't your daughter, and you weren't my mother, and I am deeply struggling. You were the first person who ever cared for me, giving me a home and someone who I could depend on. That meant the world to me. You tried to heal a part of my heart which will never be healed, and gave me hope in my dark life. I can never repay you, but I will try and help you find your perfect child you have always dreamed of and deserve to have back so greatly. You will find your lost child, and they, whoever they may be, will love you as much as I did._

_Please, don't worry about me, Helen. I'm not your problem anymore. You just need to stay strong, keep fighting. Your people need you more than ever, and not just because of the recent incident involving Horton. I shouldn't really be telling you this (or even writing this letter- if this got into the wrong hands, it would be costly), but I have reason to believe the city council have something to hide and could be possibly conspiring against you. The day of my birthday, I heard them talking to this strange man. They planned my enrolment into the academy, and I feel they have more power than they are letting on. This may just be superstitions, but I just believe they aren't to be trusted. Now I just need real evidence that is strong enough to convince all the citizens of Who the truth. You just have to trust me on this. Please don't tell anyone, especially Mr. Mayor. I fear that things will get even worse. I have no idea how that may be, but no one must know until I know for sure what is going on._

_Speaking of Mr. Mayor, I am still trying to tell him my secret, so could you please not tell him anything yet? It would be better if he heard it from me, face to face. I am almost due for an afternoon off, so after I check on Horton and his new 'egg' if Mayzie hasn't come back from her vacation, I will tell him, I promise. Hopefully, he'll be as understanding as you, but I doubt he will be. It might take him some time before he can understand._

_Look after yourself and say hello to Cith from me._

_Sincerely,_

_Kirsty_

* * *

Finishing the letter, Mrs. Mayor sat on the bed in their now vacant guest room, which was where Kirsty used to sleep. While reading, she could have sworn she had felt the teenager's presence in the room, but she quickly shot that theory down, and the faint Thinker part of her that had grasped onto the theory.

_How has it come to this? How could I do this to her?_

Mrs. Mayor sighed, as she kept trying to convince herself that it really was all for Kirsty's own good and that soon, she would come back and everything would be perfect and they could be the normal family they were supposed to be. But she knew that would never be possible. Kirsty would always be a Thinker; they would always stand out, and there was nothing she could do to change that.

"Dear? I'm home!"

Hearing her husband's voice, she quickly hid the letter, went down the stairs to greet Mr. Mayor. He looked a lot happier than she had expected him to be. "Hello. You're home early today," she said, flatly.

"I thought you'd be surprised! The council and I had a meeting just after lunch and came up with some quite good agreements, so I thought I could come home early to surprise you and celebrate!" he said, giving his wife a fake sort of smile and a kiss on the cheek.

"Are you all right?" his wife asked him, worriedly. She had never seen him this happy in all her time being married to him.

The politician laughed, spinning Mrs. Mayor around unexpectedly. "Why, I've never felt better, my love. I am the Mayor of a beautiful city, with a beautiful wife by my side, and living the perfect life. The lead Chairman was absolutely right when he told me nothing goes wrong in Whoville. We are literally living in heaven, right here on Who!"

"Uh…dear, do you think that we made a good decision, by sending her to that academy?"

Mr. Mayor turned to wife, noticing her miserable tone of voice. "Of course we did. We told her that if she kept Thinking, she would end up there. Her behaviour was getting out of control, and that was all her fault. General Schmitz is the best trained in his field, and will straighten her out so she is no longer a threat to our society. She will learn to act like a real Who. It's for her own good," he assured her.

"I suppose…but I'm just worried for her. What if something bad happens to her?" Mrs. Mayor asked, starting to pace back and forth. A threat to our society? How could he say that about anyone, let alone his own daughter? Something wasn't right. "Have you got any letters from her?"

"Yes, I got one this morning, which included a report card. From both documents, she is slowly warming up to the academy's plan," Mr. Mayor said, which made his wife even more confused. What did he mean by the academy's plan? Her husband gave her a quick kiss and went happily up the stairs, humming to himself.

_Something's not right about this whole situation. Last night, he was complaining about how the council never listened to him and how they hated him. Now, he's acting like they're best friends? And how could he say that academy is where our daughter belongs? We both know it isn't, so why did he change his view, and why so easily?_

Questions filling her head, she went over to the nearest window, with her cup of tea in one hand, and opened the window with the other. As she took in the fresh air, a strange scent filled her nose, causing her to sneeze. Looking out into the city further, she noticed that everything was beginning to be covered by an unusual silver mist.

"What in the name of Who is this?" she whispered to herself, as a small cloud blew her way. She touched it lightly, and found that the mist was actually small, translucent white crystals. Immediately, she moved away the window, the unnaturally sweet scent of the mist too strong for her to handle. Her head felt light. She took a sip of her tea, trying to comprehend what she had just seen, which remarkably made her head feel refreshed. She remembered Kirsty's letter and wondered if the council had something to do with this unknown weather.

What did her town have in store for it? Was there worse to come? Was this just the calm before the storm? And would everyone make it out, not just alive, but the same way they went in?


	22. Chapter 21: Overworked in Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.”- Sigmund Freud

**Chapter 21: Overworked in Paradise**

Palm Beach was often known as a hidden diamond, and it was easy to see why, if you ever happened to get a short glimpse of it. The main attraction was a five-star, triple platinum beachside hotel, the location not only bringing with it constant sunny days, a light refreshing breeze in the air and a sunset worth dying for, but also endless entertainment, refreshments and eligible bachelors at every turn. It was almost impossible to get a booking there, only possible if you knew the right people and had enough money.

Unless you were Mayzie La Bird that is.

With her flawless looks, irresistible accent and striking fashion sense, she could easily be mistaken for a high-class celebrity model, and together with her charming ways, she could get in anywhere.

It was around midday, and Mayzie had retreated from the beach to her penthouse apartment, which had just recently been cleaned, the smell of lemon and vanilla filling the room. The public beach always got terribly crowded by midday, mostly by animal families with their children, which she couldn't cope with. She had just finished another postcard to Gertrude and the Bird Girls, placing it in an envelope with some happy snaps and a collection of cute little souvenirs. She had written  _'Hey girls! I know you'd be wishing to be here. Weather is beautiful, and along with my new beau at my side, everything is perfect. Lots of love and kisses to all! Mayzie xxx'_ , before handing it into the front office, and heading up onto the private rooftop pool. She got a few whistles and stares of awe on her way there, which she easily ignored. After all, she was use to her looks making men weak-kneed and women envious.

Upon arriving at the rooftop, she noticed that it was relatively empty, only a few dozing people occupied the sunbeds. She sighed in relief.  _Finally, a moment to relax in peace and quiet._ She settled herself down on her reserved sunbed, placed her towel and bag close by and watched the day go by, just as she had done for weeks on end. Ever since she had left the Jungle of Nool after the 'incident' with that idiot- she refused to say his name anymore, not wanting to bring back the memories of her worst mistake of her life in trusting him- she had begun to feel like a new woman. She had never heard of Palm Beach, and was quite surprised when she had been dropped off here and that she had been given a room for her stay, prepaid. It did puzzle her, but she didn't delve on it, the hard work not interesting her in the slightest.

As she began to close her eyes, a figure came up to her and put one of their arms around her neck. "Hello señorita. The usual, I presume?"

Mayzie opened her eyes to see her favourite poolboy, José, beside her, her usual drink in his hand. He was dressed in his trademark red and white striped shorts, white gloves, white tank top and converse, with a large white headband completing the look, somehow going with his scruffy black hair. She had met the man when she first arrived, and everything about him appealed to Mayzie, especially his voice, that Spanish accent of his so seductive. "Oh José, you know me too well." Taking a sip of the drink, the concoction having a sweet flavour yet with a strong kick, she sat up and put her pink sunnies on top of her head. "How's my favourite poolboy?"

The poolboy flashed a warm smile, getting up from beside her and opening a nearby umbrella. "Ever better now I have seen you, looking ever so beautiful as usual." The line was ever so cliché, but it was enough for Mayzie. In actual fact, he wasn't much into the girl, all the feathers and bossy attitude a little too much at times, but she was beautiful none the less, and he would treat her like any other girl who stayed here, as that was his job. To make any women happy. "Mayzie, you do like it here, yes?"

"Why do you ask, José?" she asked, moving closer towards him. "What's on your mind?"

He took the empty glass from her hands and sat on a chair next to hers. "I was just beginning to wonder, señorita. What made you come here in the first place?"

"Well…" That question made Mayzie both slightly move and look away from him, trying to bypass the question. She had almost forgotten her life before she came here, including what she had left behind, mainly Horton, who was probably still sitting on her egg, in her nest, in her tree with that plain, weird little creature. The friend of Horton's. What was her name again? She knew that she was a she, but her name had slipped her mind. Something simple and unusual, that was for sure. Not that it mattered anyway. They would probably hate her if she ever showed her face in Nool again either way. But she had convinced herself that it was all for the best, and that she would never be a good parent to the child. So why did she feel guilty?

"I just wanted a change of scenery, darling. Who wouldn't want all this? Is there a problem with that?" she gave him a flirtatious smile, hiding her thoughts. She didn't want him to get caught in her web of personal problems. This was for her to figure out, and her alone.

Getting up from his seat, José nodded. He got an extravagant platter of fruit off one of the hotel's staff and placed it on the table next to them, along with another drink. "No, señorita. Of course not. It's just that... you have been here quite a long while. Maybe you would like a change of setting? Or to go back to Nool?"  _Darn it. I've said too much. There goes my cover!_ José was not at all sure what to say or how she would react, but was extremely relieved when Mayzie laughed, picking a grape from the platter.

"José, you're so funny! I was just kidding!" When she saw him laughing uncomfortably back, she leaned in close to him, putting a grape in his mouth. "Lighten up, José. This is the life! Just look at where we are right now. We're living the dream!"

"When you're down in Palm Beach with the breeze in your hair," Mayzie sang, taking a sip of her drink. "And you don't have an egg or a nest or a care, tell yourself how lucky you are."

"How lucky, how lucky you are," José sang, as he moved beside her and fed her a grape, making her blush.

She lay back down on the sunbed, while José stood up and began massaging her shoulders. "When it's day after day after beautiful day to be lazing away by the sea with Jose, tell yourself how lucky you are."

"How lucky you are!" Jose grinned.

"Still, I'm bored and I'm cranky and tired sitting day after day," Mayzie sighed, brushing the poolboy's hands off her. "Who knew so much work was required for nothing but play." She stood up and looked at her surroundings. "I need something diff'rent! I crave something new!" Turning to José, she moved over to him and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close to her. "Hey, maybe could you think of something diff'rent to do?!" The words came out seductively from Mayzie's deep pink lips, making José turn bright red, from surprise or embarrassment, it was hard to tell.

The rather awkwardly dropped silence remained for a few seconds, it ending when José managed to think up a plan. "Why tell when I can show you, my sweet señorita…"

Making sure none of the staff were around, he took her hand and lead her to what seemed like an ordinary looking maintenance storeroom. "Now, what do you think this is?"

Mayzie raised an eyebrow, looking from him to the door in front of her.  _He can't be serious. Tell me that this is all in my head._ "This is what you meant by different?! Who do you take me for? I am not spending my time in a dirty, old storeroom!" She was yelling at him by this point, pushing him away in disgust.

"Wrong! Most people would believe that, but actually, it is an entrance to a trans-dimensional portal." Opening the door, Mayzie warily looked though, not to find multiple pool cleaning products, but a long, never-ending hole, the miscellaneous objects drifting lightly through it giving it a slightly unsettling aura.

Shutting the door, Mayzie took a long while to gather her thoughts, the ones she could even muster up not being able to even come out. The bird locked eyes with José, the annoyed expression fading from her face, standing up on the tips of her heels, leaned into him-

-and slapped him hard across the face.

"WHO IN THE WORLD DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" her voice has so loud that it almost cracked under the pressure and her face was bright red. There was a long awkward silence while Mayzie waited for the answer from José. He was rubbing his now throbbing cheek in utter humiliation, mostly from the fact he had just been slapped. By a girl. By THE Mayzie La Bird.

"Perfect aim, señorita. Now, if you will just here me out." he took her hand, placing them in his, the poolboy's voice growing ever so softer. "One thing you should know about me is that I would never treat you for something you're not. I don't work like that. My belief is that you should embrace who you really are, no matter the consequences, and that one day, you'll find that place where you can be that person. Speaking of which, I know a place which is just right for a classy girl such as yourself. Bright light, big city and…" José took out a brochure of his back pocket and passed it to the bird. "World class entertainment."

Taking the poster out of the poolboy's gloved hands, she looked at it carefully. It read; 'The Circus McGurkus: The Greatest Circus of the decade! Don't miss a chance to see this once-in-a-lifetime event in its final weeks, now back in New York, before it begins its world tour! Tickets selling fast!' "I just saw it advertised only a few weeks ago, and I thought that it might be of interest to you. Nothing could beat this paradise, but it does have its perks." José backed away a few steps, not wanting to be hit again, the throbbing pain coming from his left cheekbone still resonant from earlier. "So, what do you think?"

"Stop pulling my leg, José."

"Honestly, would I lie to you, Mayzie?"

"I would say yes, judging from that look on your face."

"Aren't you always the one open for taking a chance? All you have to do is open that door and walk through. Nothing else is required, and you'll have the time of your life, trust me."

Mayzie thought about it for a moment. "A circus?" she said, tapping her tip of her heel on the ground, deep in consideration. "I love a show…" After a while, a look of excitement grew on her face. "I think I'll go!"

"Wonderful señorita. Now, you don't need to worry about your trunks and luggage, I'll be sending them to your apartment," he told her, before handing her a long winter coat and hat. "And I would be wearing these if I were you. The weather over there is almost the opposite to here and…" José paused; he had to make sure his words would come out the right way. "They aren't used to women as…feathery as yourself, if you catch my drift."

As Mayzie grasped the door handle, she noticed that José was beginning to creep away. "José!"

"Yes?" he asked, a little too much on the snappish side.  _Another mistake I shouldn't have made. I'm going waay out of character today…_

"Aren't you coming with me? After all, this was your idea in the first place."

_Oh dear. I didn't plan this through enough. How are you going to get yourself out of this one, José?_  He put his hands on her waist, and whispered. "Oh, don't you worry about me, señorita. I'll be seeing you later, I'll make sure of that."

"You'd better, or else someone else may take me for the ride. I'll only be gone for a few days and then I'll be back, or when I get bored without you, whichever comes first." She fluttered her long eyelashes at José, spinning him around so they were facing. "Now, where's my goodbye kiss? My dear señor José…"

The two melted into one kiss, which soon turned into many. Mayzie let go all her doubts go, as José started to kiss her neck, gently but with passion. He just couldn't resist any longer-she was just so sexy in that evocative sundress of hers- and even though part of him thought he was going way too overboard in the whole poolboy act, the rest of him just went with it, up to the point when Mayzie wouldn't let go of him. He tried to detangle himself from her, but this just seemed to encourage the bird. His slightly exasperated expression formed into a sly smirk, a plan coming to mind.

While Mayzie was scratching her long nails along his cheek- that always seemed to have a positive effect on men- José managed to get a moment to speak. "Mayzie, you know, there's something I've always wanted to do, and I think you should be the first one to see…"

"And what would that be, my beautiful?" she asked, loosening her hold on him, seeing his hands in hers. "What have you got up your sleeve?"

He gave her a mischievous smile and kissed her hand, distracting her, before he quickly opened the door and pushed her inside. "Adios, señorita!" he called out to her, charmingly, and locked the door before she could try to escape, her high-pitched scream filling the silence she'd left.  _Nicely handled, José. Nicely handled…_


	23. Chapter 22: Return of the Primadonna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It's being here now that's important. There's no past and there's no future. Time is a very misleading thing. All there is ever, is the now. We can gain experience from the past, but we can't relive it; and we can hope for the future, but we don't know if there is one.”- George Harrison

**Chapter 22: Return of the Prima-donna**

"Guys! You won't believe who I just saw!"

Everyone's heads turned to the entrance of the tent, where Jasper, one of the acrobats was standing, a wide smile on his face. It was only an hour after the performance, which had been staged at Washington D.C and everyone had been flooded by interviewers, camera crews and fans that had come in to get autographs, pictures and the latest gossip on the circus, so an unexpected interruption to their limited break time- it was now limited due their massive rise in public and critical popularity- was not on their most wanted list.

"Oh, what is it now, Jasper?" Pablo, one of the juggler cousins, complained, who was just about to settle down to a large cup of coffee, which he desperately needed.

Jasper tried to catch his breath, his answer coming out in erratic gasps. "I…I wasn't sure if I did see them…but I was pretty sure…"

His fellow acrobat, Dusty, sniggered, a cup of tea in his hands. "Come on buddy, spit it out! Let me guess, it's that chick you keep going on about in your-"

"I just saw the president of the United States of America!"

Jasper's sudden outburst made the entire room go silent; every ones mouths open with shock, dusty even dropping his tea cup in disbelief. After standing frozen for what seemed like an age, all the performers crowded Jasper, flooding him with question. Luckily for him, Eiffel managed to give him some space. "Everyone, give the poor guy some space to breathe! He can hardly answer you if you're all talking at once…"

The Italian magician, Signore Sorprendente, patted his fellow performer on the back. "Fantastico, Jasper! The actual president! Are you sure it was him? Did he see you?"

He nodded, unable to control his excitement. "Yes! More than that, he even came over to me! And talked to me!"

"You're joking!" Diablo, Pablo's cousin, cheered. "I bet you would have been all frozen up the moment he opened his mouth! Come on, don't leave us all hanging! What'd he say to ya?"

The contortionist Lebo pulled him out a seat, everyone else also squeezing up a chair to listen to this story. "Well, he came over to me just before his press interview. He-he-"Jasper stopped, sensing the presence of someone behind him. As he turned, his face went white with nerves.

"Excuse me for interrupting. Is Mr McGurkus available? I would like to speak with him."

Standing in the doorway was no one less than the President of the United States of America. He was dressed almost identically from the other business executives and high class dignitaries they had met and seen through the second half of the tour, but he had an air about him which seemed much friendlier and accepting than them.

Quickly, Race, part of the senior dance troupe, pushed Eiffel out of his seat. "Mr McGurkus isn't here at the moment, but you can speak to our next in command!"

Eiffel, who had not expected to be put into this nervous situation, tried to gather up all the confidence he had, while turning back to Race and whispering for his ears only. "You so owe me for that." He slowly turned to the President, putting on his best professional face. "I am very honoured to meet you, Mr. President. Unfortunately, I am not the official second in command-"

"But he's better than anyone could ever be," Blaze, the youngest acrobat at age nine, interrupted. He earned a small elbow in the stomach from Empire, head acrobat, for speaking out of turn.

Instead of punishing the boy, the President laughed, and looking to the young performer. "From what I have seen, that would most definitely be true." Turning back to Eiffel, he went back to business. "I have some important business to discuss with you, but firstly, I was just wondering…where I could find the elephant. Horton, was it? I would very much like to see him."

Nodding, Eiffel lead his through the opposite tent door. "Right this way, Mr. President." Before taking the President out, he motioned to Balthazar, the strongman, and Julius, the head of the family of clowns. "Balthazar and Julius will make sure none of the media interrupt you, won't you two?" When they both nodded, he went back to the President. "He's just through here. No one should be in there with him, but I'll be right outside the door just to make sure."

"Oh no, there is no need for that," he told Eiffel, as they walked to Horton's tent. "I do need to talk with you while we're in there, so there's no need to give me unneeded privacy." When they arrived at the correct tent, Eiffel opened the fabric door, letting the President go through first.

Sitting on his now nation -and possibly world famous- 'egg, nest and tree' was Horton. He had just been removed of his cake load of makeup, and his glittery costume, so he was much calmer and relaxed, especially since all the media had gone. "Here he is, the one and only! If you would like, you can-"Eiffel stopped mid introduction, as he saw someone come through the far door.

It was Kirsty, now in her more casual gear consisting of straight beige jeans and a long white sleeved shirt, carrying some straw and a big container of water. "Oh! I-I'm sorry! I'll ju-just g-go-"

Before she could make her escape, Eiffel grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her so she was standing in front of the President. "Let me introduce you to Willow, the second half of this act. She is one of the most courageous members of our circus, not to mention the best story teller. Willow, this is the President of the United States of America."

_Oh yeah…I'm meant to be going by that name now. Who got the big idea to call me Willow anyway?_

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Kirsty quickly bowed her head in respect, not wanting to seem rude.

"The pleasure is all mine. I must say, my family and I found that story of yours very interesting. You and that elephant seem to have a very close bond." He smiled at her, shaking her hand firmly. "How long have you been at this circus?"

Kirsty had to think for a bit to be able to come up with a close estimate. It seemed like years since her and Horton had seen the Jungle of Nool. "A year next week, sir."

"Is that egg real? How in the world did you end up with it?"

"That is quite a story, sir, a long and complicated one at that. Let's just say, that if I told you, you'd never believe me."

Laughing, he went back to talk to Eiffel. "Your circus is clearly one of a kind. I am very privileged to have seen you live. But there is a matter in which I would like to ask you about." Out of his briefcase came a large envelope, which he passed to Eiffel. "This matter would have to be discussed with your ringmaster, of course, and the rest of your circus may like to be informed of this, but there is no harm in asking someone as informed as yourself straight out. I have been contacted by many international companies, and they would like to ask you if you would be able to perform a worldwide tour?"

* * *

The entire circus was gathered in a large tent, celebrating the announcement of their world tour, which would kick off a few hours after their final performance, scheduled to be held in New York City the next night. The mood was high; music filled the room and there was not a sad face in the entire room as the cast enjoying multiple drinks, partying the night away. All were dressed in formal attire, the evening having an old-school Hollywood glamour theme about it. The only person not in the room was Mr McGurkus himself, but many suspected that he was now planning their new tour, or still answering questions from the media.

Eiffel stood up on a table, and tapped his champagne glass to get everyone's attention. He looked rather handsome in his royal blue silk blazer, black straight pants and blue tie, even sporting a black top hat and white scarf. "I propose a toast! To Horton and the new Circus McGurkus, in making it big in the US and our upcoming world tour! We did it guys!"

All cheered, clicking glasses and bottles in agreement. The one who wanted to be by his side the most, Liberty, was sitting at a nearby table, a cocktail in hand. Tonight, she had a rare elegance about her, swapping her usual hard, rough and dark look for a more vintage and feminine style. Wearing a peach toned strapless cocktail dress with matching stilettoes, she hardly looked recognisable, even her hair modified, now back to its natural wavy brunette cut. However, she still made note to keep her elaborate designer side, her heels having a definite 'Liberty' touch to them. Lately, her and Eiffel had not talked at all, which had lead Liberty to the conclusion that maybe, their relationship was on the rocks. This thought broke her heart, as she loved Eiffel more than anything, even her career.

Soon, the acrobats got noisy, pressuring their unofficial leader to make a speech. "Okay, you rowdy lot!" he yelled over the top of them, getting back on top of the table again. "This whole journey has been, to say the least, a complete rollercoaster. Most of you never expected that we would even make it to the end of this tour, me included. All of us have brought something spectacular and newly insane to this business, and we wouldn't have got this far without any of you. But before I got into all of the formal rubbish, there is something very important I need to do first."

"Miss Paige Amelia Westwood?"

Liberty's ears pricked, at the sound of her real name, one she had not heard for many long years. She was confused, the only two people she had told here were Kirsty and…- Standing, she turned to see the voice came from Eifel. What happened next shocked everyone. The entire cast went silent, as Eiffel went down on one knee, a small box in his hands.

"Dear Liberty…will you marry me?"

The girl in question put a hand to her mouth, unable to speak out of surprise. After what seemed like forever, an answer was finally given. "After all these years, it's taken you this long to get the message?" Eiffel's face fell, until Liberty climbed up onto the table with him and pulled him up. "I have been waiting so long for you to ask me that question, Seignour! Of course, I will! YES!"

To say that the room went crazy would be an understatement, the cast over-ecstatic, as the newly engaged couple kissed in joy, Eiffel slipping the ring onto his soon to be wife's finger.

On the far side of the tent, Kirsty watched the festivities in slight awe. She was happy for them all, especially for Liberty and Eiffel. Liberty had gone to the effort of making Kirsty an dress for the occasion, even though Kirsty had personally insisted she had enough on her plate than to worry about making her something 'appropriate' to wear. However, she knew how much Liberty loved creating different outfits, particularly for Kirsty, who had allowed herself to be a blank canvas for her every performance, so she hadn't struggled or resisted, not having any strength at all. The last time she had worn a dress was on the opening performance, so Liberty thought this would be the perfect opportunity to craft a dress more suited to Kirsty's frame, size and style.

The dress was a forget-me-not blue colour, with long sleeves and a light skirt, giving it a simple, graceful nod to the Victorian era, but with a relaxed, flowed modern air to it. Her makeup and hair reflected the outfit, only a light shade of pink on her lips, and her now long hair was in a braided bun.

"Are you enjoying the party, Willow?"

Her eyes moved to Y, his voice very recognisable. Somehow, she'd been able to tell the two apart, and through all the tricks and taunts they had tried on her, she's come to like them. "Hello Y," she told him, giving him a little smile to give him the impression she was happy. "How are you?"

"Okay," he said simply, before joining her glance to Liberty and Eiffel, who were together in each other's arms, dancing to the fast paced song that was playing. "Those two were the worst kept secret in the whole circus, but I never expected Eiffel to have the guts to pop the question. I'm happy for them, though." His eyes blink, as he remembered something. "Oh, Charlie wanted me to tell you that Horton wants you. He seems a little distraught…according to Charlie."

Kirsty nodded, before thanking him and leaving the room. Charlie, the boy who Y had mentioned, worked and looked after all the animals. The two had bumped into each other, quite literally, while she had been looking after Horton, and he had let her spend as much time as she could with him after performances. He was close to eleven years old, and very active and fun around the animals. Charlie seemed to understand Horton, and in secret, she found out that Horton liked him very much.

When she walked into Horton's chamber, she saw an unbelievable sight. Looking around the corridor close to Horton was a woman, dressed in a fuzzy white winter coat, hat and muff. Most would assume she was another Hollywood celebrity, wanting a selfie with the famous elephant. Unless you knew her that is. Even with a huge coat covering her outfit, Kirsty recognised those signature heels and the couple of hot pink feathers that her coat couldn't cover.

It was none other than Miss Mayzie La Bird herself.

Not wanting to be seen, Kirsty tried to sneak her way over to Horton, but tripping over a small bucket revealed her unsuccessful attempt of stealth, Mayzie turning to look them straight in the eyes. "Good gracious! I've seen you two before- now, let's see…" she pondered, looking the two over in marvel.

Even though Mayzie did not recognise him, Horton definitely did, shocked as Kirsty to see her, after all this time. "Why Mayzie, it's Horton! Remember? It's me!" Horton exclaimed, his voice filling Kirsty with pleasure, having not heard him speak for all their time spent at the Circus.

"H-Horton?" she murmured, her eyes straight on the egg. "Horton! W-what a surprise to see you here!"

Seeing the bird's shocked expression, Kirsty took charge, stepping down from the tree and moving towards Mayzie. "Mayzie, we've sat on your egg now for sixty-three weeks! We've sat here while people have paid to take peeks! We've sat here through lightning and hail storms and snow! Won't you take back your egg?" she begged the girl.

"Gee. I really don't know..." Mayzie responded hastily. She looked around cautiously; she had to find a way out of this mess and fast. "Oh, wow, it's really late! And gee, I've got a date! And lots of places to be!" she explained, backing up towards the door a little, but seeing Horton's glum face made her start to back-pedal. "…But it's so great to see you! Look at you! Who would ever guess?" After gesturing back to Horton, she looked to Kirsty, while getting out a poster of the teenager and some of the other circus members. "Look at you! Such a big success..."

Both Horton and Kirsty looked hopefully, that this may be the moment that they could try and find Who again, and go back to Nool. "And it's all thanks to me!" At this point, all her winter gear had been placed in various places around the tent, and Mayzie was now standing in her signature outfit and her tail was just as large and glamorous as they remembered.

"Amayzing Horton! That egg-sitting circus sensation!" she sang to them, dancing around the room, feathers flying. Horton sighed; he had hoped that Mayzie would have changed her ways, but she was still like he remembered. "Amayzing Horton! Even I'm impressed! Amayzing Horton! While I was off taking vacation, you made your fortunes up on Mayzie's nest..." the music which had started a little while ago slowed down to a steady pace, as Mayzie's expression grew soft and sincere.

"I may be unreliable, fancy free, irresponsible," she told them, in a moment of reflection. This side of Mayzie Kirsty had never seen this strongly before, and it made her believe that she could be wrong about the bird. "Crazy me, always eager to fly!" She looked up at them, her eyes almost on the brink of tears. "But seeing you two gives me true delight. Just this once I've done something right." Mayzie paused and thought for a moment, a small smile forming. "The egg is all yours!"

Horton and Kirsty opened their mouths to protest, but she quickly made them shut. "No, don't thank me, I'll cry!" she sang, flinging her arms into a very over dramatic pose. When the tune came to a halt, she moved slowly back towards the tree. "Good luck when it hatches. Good luck..." she told them, truthfully. Almost a hand away from the egg, she went to stroke it, but something suddenly stopped her.

"…A-and goodbye….."

Almost as quickly as she came in, Mayzie ran off, tears falling from her eyes, out of pure regret and shame. Horton and Kirsty, not knowing of her struggles, were confused, another emotion adding to their volcano of feelings. None of them tried to run after her; in all honesty, they didn't have the strength to. Their gazes filled with lost hope, having fully given up all promise, all the two could do was look at each other in disbelief, no words able to explain their pain, for both Who and the egg, which they were now fully responsible for.


	24. Chapter 23: Daring to Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”- Jimi Hendrix

**Chapter 23: Daring to Dream**

Both the two friends were silent, their hearts both cracked from the fate they had been handed. They looked to each other, before Kirsty began to climb up to where Horton was sitting on the nest, with the egg they had just been given to them. The hidden pain in his eyes was so strong; from utter failure and disloyalty.

"We meant what we said, and we said what we meant," Horton declared softly. "A Seussians's faithful, one hundred per cent." He glanced to Kirsty before looking back to their egg. "But we've lost our poor Whos and their whole tiny town. I couldn't protect them."

"And I let Jojo down." Kirsty admitted, the guilt of abandoning her friend at the time he needed her most almost killing her.

"And now, little egg, you're alone in the universe too. Who would have thought you'd be left up to me? A fool of an elephant up in a tree," Horton sighed, before looking up. "Well, this time, I swear we'll do better than try! We'll protect you from harm. Yes, I'll do it or die." The elephant wrapped his trunk around the egg as he proclaimed, before dropping his voice back to a soothing tone.

Kirsty stroked the egg lightly, as she looked up at Horton. "So rest now, young egg, and we'll sing you a lullaby..."

Out of the blue, a spotlight appeared over what seemed to be a large pile of crates concealed by an old hessian covering. Somehow curious, Kirsty got down from the nest, and slowly, with a soft and gentle tune whispering around the two, she pulled the hessian off. At that second, it turned into silk and in place of the crates stood a magnificent white grand piano now sitting in the middle of the space, signalling another key musical number moment.

_No. Just no. I can't play this, let alone an ordinary piano! Jojo only taught me a few basic notes…How am I meant to play accompaniment and create a song when I-_

" _You don't have to. Just Think. Trust them, and let them lead you."_

Her eyes flashed, the simple words from an unknown spirit almost flicking on a switch. After a few seconds to think, she sat down at the piano. Her hands unsteady and unsure, she managed to lightly place her hands on some keys, and her Thinks began to play a slow, simple but gentle ballad, colour of the music seeping through the tips of her fingers into the air. At one with her imagination, the right lyrics came to her, coming out calmly.

"There's a faraway land so the stories all tell, somewhere beyond the horizon. If we can find it then all will be well. Troubles there are few, someday, we'll go to... Solla Sollew, Solla Sollew," Kirsty sang, glancing to Horton and the egg, better times helping her play on, despite the growing sense of pain inside her heart.

"Solla Sollew," Horton joined in, supporting her.

Just as Kirsty was about to repeat those words, other voices cut her off. "Solla Sollew." One by one, majority of the performers were walking towards them from different points of the arena, sitting down around Horton's tree and Kirsty. In the haze were Eiffel and Liberty, X and Y, their faces forgiving and kind.

Horton looked to them, silently thanking them. "We've lost our poor Whos and we've travelled so far. Oh, Jojo… forgive me wherever you are."

While Horton was talking, Kirsty's mind was in its own niche in time, recalling everything that had happened. One memory stood out, and for the first time in years, she didn't try and hide it, for she finally understood what those two words meant.  _Dear Mom and Dad, I'm thinking of you and wishing we all were in Solla Sollew…_ Getting a letter out of her pocket, she let it go, the wind taking it through the night sky. Standing up, she looked to her right side, where she could see Jojo, sitting on his bunk bed at the military academy. Then, opposite him, were Mr. and Mrs Mayor, sitting in their living room, reading her letter.

"They say breezes are warm there," Mr Mayor sang just as he put the letter down.

His wife looked to him, grasping his hand tightly. "And people are kind."

That scene froze, to where it moved to the academy, Jojo unfreezing. "Maybe it's something like heaven," Jojo added, a sliver of his Thinker still strong.

"I close my eyes and I see in my mind," Together, the three sang, without even knowing, their voices fitting in perfect harmony. "Skies of bluest blue…"

"Solla Sollew," Horton and the circus joined in to create a powerful ensemble.

As the song grew into a crescendo, Kirsty, who hadn't been singing for a while, went back to the piano. Her eyes were filled with a mix of grief and utter determination. "I've had so much trouble finding my way there. When I get close, it disappears. If we can get there, we're gonna stay there…"

Meeting each other's gaze, Horton took over. "If it takes us miles…" he added on, the music beginning to soften.

"If it takes us miles," Mr and Mrs. Mayor echoed.

"If it takes us years," Jojo finished, as everything paused for a moment. A moment of rest, of Thinks, of forgiveness or of hope, no one knew, but to all, it meant something. "High on a mountain or lost on the sea…"

"Sooner or later, I'll find it," Horton joined in with Jojo, singing an unbeknown duet.

"I have a picture of how it will be," the Mayor added, looking out into the distance.

"On the day I do," the couple sang together, holding each other tight, the letter in both their hands.

Jojo pulled his legs in, before closing his eyes and adding to the voices. "Troubles will be through."

"And I'll be home with you," Horton added in, the song building up again in emotion. At that single moment, the sky began to fill with small glowing lights, powered by love, faith and promise for what could be.

At this point, Kirsty came back in, leading the chorus, with all the circus performers gently swaying with the music. It didn't matter that each and every single creature was wishing or hoping for something completely different to the other, as at that one moment, they were all united with that one impossible dream. "Solla Sollew, Solla Sollew, Solla Sollew, Solla Sollew. Solla Sollew, Solla Sollew. Solla Sollew…" After a while, the music slowed to a halt, Kirsty standing up for her solo.

"I'll be home..." she took a deep breath in before continuing, making sure she didn't break down. "…with you," As she sang that final note, she stared off in the distance, a dream dying away in her eyes.

"Solla Sollew," everyone else all sang sadly, the circus animals moving back out of the arena and the two spotlights fading into darkness.

As the images of the Mayors and Jojo grew weak, Kirsty played the final notes of their song, the last remaining high note wavering softly in the air. Standing back from the piano, she didn't move a muscle, Horton watching on with a worried expression. He came down from the tree, leaving the egg, but didn't go over to her, knowing that she must have been in a rough mind state right now. She turned, the two sharing a silent heartbreaking moment with each other. Tears were forming in both their eyes, as Kirsty ran towards her old friend, before the teenager buried herself in him. Both of them were wishing that each could for once have some hope in their lives, but they knew they would need a miracle to make their lives turn around now.

"This can't go on. I have to go back."

Eyes growing wide, the elephant looked down to his friend, who was now a little way away from him. Confused, he stepped forward a little more. "Back where?

"To Who, Horton. I just can't escape my guilt any longer. And we both need to try and find the clover again."

"But how would you even-?"

The elephant's face went white, his head shaking rapidly. "You're not thinking of doing what I'm think you're going to do, are you?" Seeing her nod timidly, Horton gasped, now right next to her. "Kirsty, no! You can't be serious! Trying to Think yourself back to Who?! Who knows what will happen!"

Kirsty sighed. She had figured his answer would have been something like that. "I can't think about that. I have to try. What if we never leave this world? You'll die if we stay here any longer." In her mind was the night of their first performance, even though it had been so long ago, it was something she would never forget, and never wanted to see happen to her friend again.  _Ted was right…We have to do something now before it's too late._

"Kirsty, the last time you tried to attempt something this big, you nearly killed yourself. It's too big a risk!" he said, exasperated, trying to make her reconsider, but he could see her mind was made up.

"It's a risk I have to take. There is no alternative. Please, Horton! We-"

Suddenly, she recoiled, her head slamming against the sand floor. "NO! I won't let you! I'm not going to let you try and hurt yourself! Don't you lie to me!" Fear struck through her body, hearing Horton's voice change from its typical nurturing tone to a strong, frightening demand. She knew he was scared, and was right, but never had she seen him this vulnerable. It was clear now; this was all her doing, every last drop of it.

"I wish I didn't have to, Horton. But sometime, what you have to do isn't always the easiest, and it may not be the 'right' thing. Life just works like that." She cupped her hands against his face, Horton now sitting down close to her level. "I've been planning it as best as I can, using up all my energy to create enough thinks to at least get me there. I know where I'm going, what I'm going to do and how. You have to trust me on this, Horton."

"I…I don't think I can…"

"Then can you at least let me try?"

"…okay… "

The two embraced lightly, Horton saying amongst his tears. "I care about you a lot. I just don't want to lose you."

Kirsty sighed, not really knowing what to say. "Let's just hope. But I need to find Jojo; I've been gone from the academy for over a year. Mr. Mayor and Helen need to know that help is on the way, and hopefully a way back to Nool can be found through all this."

"Have you even told him that you're not his daughter? You know you can't avoid it any longer," Horton told her, remembering a very vital detail. "You promised Mrs. Mayor that you would be straight with him."

"I just don't know how to tell him, or if he will even accept it. I just don't want to hurt anybody anymore." A moment's silence took her over, looking away. "But I will, when the war ends and everything gets sorted out." Getting out her bag, Kirsty pulled out her old showcase military uniform, which had been mended and washed. "Let's hope this still fits, eh?"

Just before she left for the change rooms, Horton put his trunk out, blocking her path. "Just…be careful. Don't do anything stupid. Make sure Jojo's safe and out of there."

Nodding, she answered him. "I make sure of that. I just can't guarantee that the world won't pull out another one of its 'surprises'." She held his trunk tight, rubbing it lightly. "Be safe, stay hidden and look out for the egg. And thank you for putting up with me."

Moving through the corridors of the arena, she managed to find an empty room to change into her uniform. Just as she was about to disappear back to Whoville, standing at the door were Liberty and Eiffel, who still hadn't left each other's side. "Hey, Willow! Where have you been?" Eiffel's eyes then drifted to the folded up dress and her new attire. "What's with the uniform? Are you okay? You look like you've been crying."

"Is your elephant friend all right? Or is this something else?" Liberty asked, but a reply didn't come, Kirsty trying to move through the door, her mind set on the task at hand. Before she could go any further, her movements went to a grinding halt, Liberty's stepping forward to block her. Her head turned away from them, ignoring their questions. After waiting a silent second for answers, Liberty grew serious. "You're hiding something, I know it. I've known it from the moment you two set foot in this circus. It may be none of my business, but you're not normal, Kirsty."

Sensing an oncoming clash, Eiffel tried to ease the tension, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Liberty, please…be easy-"

She quickly brushed him off, her voice growing into an exasperated tone, almost accusatory. With every step forward, her voice grew louder. "What's with all the secrecy, the whispers? Are you like on the run? Is that it? I can't deal with it anymore! What are you so afraid of us finding out about you?"

"There is nothing to find out!" Kirsty bellowed, her eyes full with a fiery determination. "Now, if you'll excuse me, my friend is stuck in a military academy, and possibly fighting in a war, and I need to find him and get him out of there. " And with that, she ran out the room and slowly disappeared, Liberty and Eiffel watching on in utter bewilderment.

* * *

On the far side of the block where the circus was situated, a short, scrawny man was knocking loudly on the door of a large trailer, his raincoat soaked through and his umbrella turned inwards.

"Oh, what is it now?! Can't a guy get any peace around-"

As the door opened, the scrawny man saw Mr. McGurkus, whose tone of voice changed dramatically after seeing him. "Hugo! Thank you for coming so soon." Leading the man inside and seating him down on a chair, he proceeded to look through a cupboard. "Now, what do you feel like this time? Might I try and tempt you with a vintage variety?"

"Maybe just one, Martin," Hugo replied, before his host came back with two glasses and a bottle of brandy. As the glasses were poured, the two got down to business. "So, do you have a response on our deal? Remember, I'm quite the busy man, so this better be worth all that you're telling."

Smiling, he got out some files from a nearby cabinet. "Of course. I have all the appropriate forms and your payment, which can be negotiated. You will of course be paid extra to keep the whole process under wraps from the media."

Hugo chuckled. "All part of the package, I guarantee. You are contributing to an extensive program. The research gathered through these studies could have endless possibilities, for both our businesses. While I'm at it, how did your colleagues like the unit I sent them?"

"It was very well received," Mr McGurkus explained. "Trials started just after it arrived, and from what I was told, all subjects have responded appropriately to them, to my greatest surprise. You are quite the scientist, Hugo. Managing to eradicate and utilise Thinks in the one device."

Honoured by his achievements, a smile appeared on the scientist's face. "Science is quite an intriguing thing. I am just pleased that my skills can be used for a purpose of utmost importance." Pulling out his glasses, he picked up the files from the table. "Back to business, which of these are of highest preference?"

It didn't take long for Mr McGurkus to respond. "All will be given; it would be too risky to leave any out. The twins are a definite yes for the C sector, and those two high fliers with go in D and B."

"What about that old man? The fortune teller?"

"Na, we've got all we can get out of him. He's only here for evidence; his existence is no use to his intrigue. Anyway, what were the results from the latest DNA testings of the newbies?"

"They came back from the lab last week. I have to say, this is a first in my thirty years in the business," Hugo said. "The elephant was…mostly normal, but results would have been more extent from a blood sample. The human is not on any local records; it could take a few weeks to track down some from international bases. The overall test however…came out inconclusive."

Mr. McGurkus stood up, shocked. "What? You mean it ain't-"

"Unfortunately, not. This makes it all the more interesting, especially with that tail." He leaned in close, raising an eyebrow in interest. "I would be willing to pay quite a sum to do some more tests, Mr. McGurkus. On them both in fact. If we were able to create or find the medication that was used for it, who knows what we could do? Well, have we got ourselves a deal?"

After a short moment, the two men shook hands over the bargain. For the next half hour, the two talked over multiple glasses, before Mr McGurkus called a cap to take his guest back to his apartment. His hat straightened, and jacket fixed, just before he left in his taxi, he turned back to his host.

"Just one minor note from your scans, there was one minor defect that interested me…It may have just been a mistake from my part, but I was sure I saw the genetic ID of one or two of your performers mentioned on the military system. Better keep an eye on that ID, but they won't get far with time closing in on them…"


	25. Chapter 24: Of Treachery or Loyalty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “One more dance along the razor's edge finished. Almost dead yesterday, maybe dead tomorrow, but alive, gloriously alive, today.”- Robert Jordan

**Chapter 24: Of Treachery or Loyalty**

Jojo wiped a layer of sweat off his forehead, finishing his assigned set of laps. He was far from the athletic type, even more so when he first arrived over a year ago, the teen more academically minded. However, with a lot of sleepless night and hard-core regimes, he was just as fit, maybe even more determined, as the rest of the cadets. It did feel good in a sense, but he felt like that it wasn't him who was stronger, just the cadet he was pretending to acknowledge. One good thing the military taught you was how to fake conforming, his skills even fooling his friend Kirsty. He hated himself for that a little, but it needed to be done.

One of the majors, known by most as Griffin, came over to him, giving him a small towel and a large water container. Mostly silent, Griffin was one of the more human members of the academy staff, not as strict and 'butter side up' paranoid as the General.

"Good job, Corporal Andrews. Fastest time in your entire unit. You're turning out to be a decent solider after all." A small smile crept onto the man's face, as he dismissed the boy and went over to some of the younger cadets.

That last remark almost made Jojo sick, and slightly proud.

As he picked up the large water container, downing half the bottle, his eyes discreetly drifted to the sky above his head, small specks of white snow lightly falling onto him. No one at the Academy ever spoke about the world above them, or what was happening back home or about Horton. It made him worry, especially since he hadn't heard from his friend in so long, that they would never be found. He hadn't gone as far as saying that Horton had broken his promise- he believed so much in him that it seemed almost impossible- but he knew something was wrong. That and not seeing Kirsty anymore was making it even harder to cope, his Thinks struggling under the massive pressure. He had changed so much since arriving, some changes more alarming and worrying that others.

_Stop worrying, Jojo. Everything will turn out for the better. No matter how much he tries to modify you, he'll never get rid of your Thinks...not if you keep stopping him take over you._

To make sure that he didn't look suspicious, he decided to have quick cool down session in the Sector 4 gym. As usual, it was deserted. Most of the other cadets were in the common rooms or in their quarters, busy. Jojo was looking forward to the seclusion, a time where he could have a moment to come to terms with himself and in a more practical light, work to increase his chance of survival in this prison. That's what he called it, anyway. It was far from a school, at least in his mind. After ten minutes or so of performing gentle exercises, he picked up his things and went to his quarters. No one was there either, so he quickly dumped everything on his bed and got out a clean shirt.

"Excuse me, have you seen Private Andrews anywhere?"

Jojo raised an eyebrow. Firstly, no one had called him Private Andrews for eight months, having been raised from that rank a while ago and lastly, that voice was surprisingly female, too youthful and high pitched to ever belong to one of his fellow cadets. It didn't make sense, until he turned around, his shirt only half on, to look them straight in the eyes. His eyes went wide, not being able to pull away from the sight in front of him.

"Jojo? Is that you? You look…uh…" Kirsty struggled to find words, not completely recognising the boy that stood in front of her. It looked like the Jojo she knew, except for the stronger looking arms and thighs and sun-kissed skin that spoke of countless days outside. But his essence…it was less childlike, and more…matured and sensible. "-different…I-I mean, it's a good different! Though, I think you should put your shirt back on. We don't want you catching a cold."

The teenager started to laugh, relieved and pleased to be ever so amused by her familiar naïve and old fashioned nature. "Yeah, I should probably do that…" Putting back his jacket on, Jojo turned back around at her, now making sure he had a good look at her. She looked pretty much the same, though her hair was now growing back to its original length and she now had a little more muscle. "So, how have you been lately? As for me, I've been great; this week's been much better than I expected. I should offer my congratulations, Second Lieutenant Mayor. Seems I got more that I bargained for with this spy."

Confused, Kirsty stepped back a little. "Wait a minute, rewind that last part…Second Lieutenant? Jojo, what are you talking about? The last time I was here, I had just been moved up to Private's rank!"

"That was nearly a year ago!" Jojo said, now also confused. "They were planning to send you to a different quarter, so we agreed that in order to get new information, you would sneak up into the ranks, and try and uncover more about the plans. So, basically, you were an undercover spy! Remember?"

"Spy? Jojo, for the past year, I have been forced to perform in a circus touring across America with Horton! Haven't the academy been wondering where I've been?-"

"-Wait a second! Past year, circus, America…Humans?! What in the Seuss are you going on about?" Jojo's head was spinning so fast he had trouble standing up.

After they both came to the conclusion that neither of them were on the same page, for the next half hour the two cadets brought each one up to speed with their side of the story, going into extreme detail at several points in the discussion. "Okay, Kirsty. So, from what I gathered, somehow your 'year long absence' has been deleted from this timeline, Horton is now struggling with keeping his form due to the increase in reality from the human world, and that someone is controlling the entrances between your old world and this world…" Jojo sat in silence, his eyes flickering in deep thought.

Without warning, the young teenager leapt up and slammed Kirsty against the wall; he had her pinned in a tight lock she could escape. Surprise flashed in the girl's eyes. "What was the last thing Kirsty said to me before our first ceremony?" As he said those words, Kirsty identified the raucousness resonating in his voice, and how tired and worn he sounded. Guilt at her absence made her choke with shame and she had to admit, Jojo was scaring her.

"Why-"

"What did she say?!" his voice was now so loud; it cracked under the pressure, and his eyes were fierce. "I may look weak, but I am trained in combat, so don't even think about struggling."

Kirsty blinked. "…Never let down your guard, never let anyone inside your head. Protect your universe inside your Thinks; if that is all you can hold onto in this insane world. Never let it go."

Eyes going wide, Jojo slowly returned to a less intimidating disposition, Kirsty moving away from, still scared by his sudden outburst. She knew that the General's tactics could change anyone- the previous moments definitely confirming this claim- but this was just so massive. Secretly, she had hoped that her friend would have been able to resist all that was around him, but she knew that was wishful, poignant thinking.

A straight expression still plastered across his face, he held out his hand. "Give me your wrist." Without question, Kirsty pulled up her jacket sleave, revealing what looked to be a barcode tattooed onto her right hand. Alarmed, she looked up at Jojo, who simply sighed, his eyes closed.

Opening his eyes, he exchanged a glance, lifting up his left sleeve, which contained an almost identical marking. Each had a different set of numbers, but they both symbolised the same thing: A sighed identity, a planned future, someone who was a hopeless case; a troublesome soul on the fringe of society.

"What on earth- What is this?" Kirsty gasped, tracing the tattoo with her finger. "I didn't have this when I left the circus…"

"They're new," Jojo explained, sitting her down. "It's to identify the solders who would be the first group to go out to battle, or to put it more honestly, the ones which the academy is most worried about. The real mystery is this; No one knows how they had got them. All I knew is one morning I woke up with that mark freshly pressed against my wrist, all bruised and red. Though, how did you get yours, if you said that you never saw it before?"

His friend shrugged. "Who knows? Busy year." Falling back onto the bunk, Kirsty looked up and rubbed her eyes. "So, we are being sent to war after all…the world is truly mad."

Jojo stood up, looking to the hardwood floors in shame. "I'm sorry about earlier, Kirst. I just had to be sure that you were you." Looking up at Kirsty, who was now sitting back up, he continued, his voice hushed. "A lot of things have been going on while you've been away; there has even been a rumour that the academy has mixed in spies with us cadets."

Kirsty raised an eyebrow, moving in closer to him. "What, they think we're trying to form some sort of rebellion with the outside?"

"That's exactly what they think. Everything's gotten tighter, and we're now completely cut from the outside world. I think that's why they're sending us out now; they're running out of options. That and they've completely lost their marbles." He laughed, trying to ease the heavy tension hanging around the quarter.

Smiling awkwardly, Kirsty replied. "I guess so." Standing up, she stepped closer to Jojo, still slightly confused. "Jojo, are you positive everything is okay with us?"

Quickly, he nodded his head, trying to hide any unease. "Why wouldn't we be? It will be just like it was before, I promise!"

"Okay…I just wanted to-" she was interrupted, as Jojo pulled her in close, before wrapping himself around her in a tight hug, like a lost little child. Slightly shocked by this strong show of affection, she uneasily hugged him back. "Uh…are you okay?" They stayed like that for a long while, making Kirsty wonder if she'd missed a vital hint in their reunion.

* * *

"Schmitz, Schmitz, Schmitz, Schmitz, Schmitz, Schmitz, Schmitz, Schmitz."

It was early morning, the sun barely up, but despite this, Mother Nature was in full force. The winds close to typhoon speed, combined with the heavy snowfall the night before, equalled difficult navigating for the thirty-so cadets who were marching closer to no-man's-land.

"Sound off!" Schmitz exclaimed.

"Eggs and ham!"

"Sound off!"

"Sam I am!"

"I do not like green eggs…and ham!" they all shouted together, as they came to a halt. Swiftly, they moved into their required places, just before Schmitz began his long speech.

"We've arrived at the war, as I said we would. And war is a thing that does every boy good!" he explained, his volume at a much highest intensity. "We will sleep in the trenches and go without supper to make the world safe for each Butter Side Upper! And we'll shoot every traitor and all out of towners, who side with those bibulous Butter Side Downers!" Schmitz faced the boys, who quickly stood up at attention, the General even more intimidating during one of his rants, which could scare anyone who hadn't worked with the General. "Any questions?" Nearly all the cadets saluted back at their commander, except for one.

"General Schmitz, if I may have a word?"

The man in question spun around in surprise, not expecting a response to his rhetorical question, seeing a very familiar solider coming out from his position to stand up right next to the General. "Corporal Andrews?"

Jojo stood his ground, even then not entirely sure what he was going to say. But he was sure about one thing; this couldn't go on. "Sir, this war makes no sense. Just one Think and you'd quit. Spreading bread up or down doesn't matter one bit!"

An unnecessary gasp was heard from the rest of the cadets, which was immediately silenced by Schmitz's harsh gaze. No one had ever said anything like that in front of the General, disbelieving their cause while staring straight into his eyes without an inch of hesitation. Despite this bold move, with every word, Jojo's confidence grew. "We've crashed on a clover! There's no help in sight. So why are you here teaching children to fight?" Schmitz tried to say something to him, but no words could form in his mouth, Jojo quickly beating him to it. "And not only that, sir, it's Christmas on Who! I'd much rather have Christmas that war, wouldn't you?"

The air was still, his words hitting his fellow soldiers hard, all silently agreeing with the Corporal. Through this, the General had managed to come up with a comeback. "Now, just listen here, Andrews. We-"

Coming out of her space, Kirsty stood on the other side of Schmitz. "Is this really the answer, General; sending innocent children to their deaths because of something that happened years ago? Are we just another pawn in the game of power you're playing? The battle you should be fighting, the cause you should be protecting; it isn't on the battlefield. It never was, and shouldn't ever be."

"So," Jojo and Kirsty stood side by side, as Jojo delivered his final words. "Here are our swords and here are our hats. We're going home. And that, sir, is that!"

The General stepped in front of the pair, his voice raised not entirely out of anger, but of concern. "It's a minefield out there! This is no time for play!" Schmitz exclaimed, his strong figure making it hard for the two to pass easily, gripping Kirsty's arm tight as Jojo escaped between his legs.

"Sir, we think what we think. Now, get out of our way!" The teenager pulled herself out of his hold, and with one final turn back, Kirsty looked straight into the general's eyes, her words burying into his mind.

"Soldiers, you will obey! You will halt!"

Hands held tight, Kirsty and Jojo ran through the thick snow, the air becoming thicker and heavier with every stride. Nether the less, they kept running, despite the countless yells and pleads that came from behind them.

"Jojo, Kirsty! Come back! Please, wait!"

As Kirsty tried to pull them forward, Jojo glanced into the corner of his eye, the shadow of the general and some of the senior soldiers disappearing from view. "Come on, we'll be safe through here." Their feet dragged through the metres of thick snow, almost up to Kirsty's knees, and Jojo's waist, and now a thin mist replaced the white wind. In no time, they led themselves to a large dishevelled collection of rubble, which looked like to have once been a church, either bombed or burnt years before their time.

Hiding behind half of a sturdy wall, they sat to rest for a few minutes, the pair huddling up close to keep themselves warm enough to not get hyperthermia. "Now I kind of wish I didn't give him my hat…" Jojo remarked, his voice shaky. "It would have been use… A-ACHOO!" The moment he sneezed, Kirsty pulled out a tissue, now regretting not bringing her bag with the cloak with her.

_Seriously, sometimes I wonder if I have learnt anything from this whole dream._

"Are you sure about this, Kirsty?" her friend asked her, seeing her drift into space for a brief minute.

Not sure how to answer him, she simply said; "To be honest, I haven't a clue. But we have to do this. We just have to. You said so yourself."

The two continued on through the snow, passing town after town, not even the ghosts of its former inhabitants to be seen. Neither solider spoke as they walked through houses, the silence deafening, being respectful of those whose lives were changed by the first war, and also to the ones who were affected by this one.

"Where will we go?" Jojo asked Kirsty, when the snow storm had passed. "We could go back to Nool, or we could travel the world. Maybe we could even find Solla Sollew together, who knows?"

As he spoke, a humming noise rang through her ears, the ground beginning to violently vibrate. The wind began to pick up speed, spinning around the pair, as tiny lights flashed everywhere, getting faster by the second.

"RUN!"

Instincts on full alert, Kirsty and Jojo grabbed each other, trying to get out as quickly as possible. The sight around them was extreme, the two now in the centre of a snow storm. Their eyes were rapidly flashing around them for a possible exit, heat beats rapid, and the noise in their ears now a defining high pitched squeal.

"Wait! The necklace! We can use it to Think us a way out of this! Quick, we don't have much time!"

"No, it's too impossible! Anything could happen!"

"Just believe, for once in your life….JUST THINK!"

"I can't…I made this happen! Because of what I've done, I put everyone here in danger. You never should have trusted me! You have to forget about me!"

"I will never forget you! I'm not letting you go!"

"Yes you are."

Eyes closed, Kirsty slowly let go of Jojo without another word, pushing him as far as she could into the sides of the snow spiral. After a second of silence, the whole minefield exploded, the snow barren earth transforming into an icy inferno, leaving only a dark, timely stillness in its place.

**Author's Note:**

> For those who do not know me from Fanfiction.net (I am thecatsapprentice19 ), this here story is what has taken up majority of my time for the past 3 years. Gone through much revision and many name changes, I feel very proud about this story, which has seen much a journey for both my writing and my own confidence.
> 
> Basically, this whole Fanfiction is set in an alternative version of the musical ‘Seussical’, which is much sinister and warped that what we expected, set up right from the prologue. We are taken straight into this world through a fourteen year old human known as Kirsty, who is immediately flooded with problems of identity, loyalty and of the troubled universe she now must try and make sense of. The reason she is in Seuss, no one knows, but the deeper she travels, the more she wishes she never had of come here.
> 
> I would love some comments (which can be criticism) on this story, and if you would like to read more and can’t wait for me to upload the chapters onto here, feel free to visit the story on fanfiction.net. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Seussical, it characters, its musical numbers or any of the script used throughout the story. That belongs to Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty and the Dr Seuss Enterprise. I only own Kirsty, and some other items and characters throughout the story, who I will mention in the disclaimers when they appear.
> 
> Please leave a comment, and enjoy the show!  
> ~Sophie


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